Someone Else
by Theodosius
Summary: A story exploring the life of the girls of Lucky Star had they met a boy who finds common ground with them and joins their group. How different would their high school experience be with him around?
1. 8th of April, 2013

**Someone Else**

**Chapter 1: 8****th**** of April, 2013**

The first thing Jayden Ariyoshi remembered of the day was the sound of the alarm clock waking him up. Initially, he didn't have the slightest clue as to why he would set up an alarm, and why he had to wake up so early in the morning. He had gotten used to sleeping in the last few days.

It wasn't long before it hit him – it was his first day in Ryōō High School and he had little time to get prepared.

Jayden quickly found himself up on his feet, the startling realization of what was ahead of him waking him up faster than the alarm clock itself. He switched on the lights to his small room and was glad to find his satchel of school books already neatly prepared by the door. He thanked himself for remembering to organize everything inside last night so he wouldn't have to do it now.

Doing his best at making the bed as fast as he could, Jayden couldn't help but be excited for his first day in Ryōō as a second-year student there. Weeks ago, the mere thought of leaving Portland weighed down on him, but he was quickly getting over the change, anxious to see how life – and especially school – was like in the Saitama Prefecture. The American only had a couple of days to acclimatize so far, and that wasn't enough to get a proper impression of the Japanese atmosphere.

Going through the door of his bedroom, Jayden was careful to be as quiet as possible, not wanting to wake up his younger sister Kaiya in the next room, who wouldn't need to get up for at least half an hour more for junior high school. His father Shiro, on the other hand, had probably already left to work some time ago. The fact that Jayden wasn't the only one finding it difficult to get used to their new surroundings was a relief. Even Shiro, who was born and had lived in this city a long time ago, had said that the change of scenery required lengthy adjustment. Jayden's mother Alycia, on the other hand, had the luxury of sleeping until late morning as she worked at home as a psychologist.

As soon as he entered the little bathroom, Jayden wasted no time gazing at his own reflection in the small mirror over the sink, noticing how dishevelled he looked. His sharp, light green eyes that looked back at him still hadn't opened completely. He picked up his comb and ran it over his hair. Shortly thereafter he achieved the look he wanted.

His black medium length hair was now somewhat in order. After he did his best to fix it, some of the longer bangs on the right side of his face were hanging over his eye. The green shade of his fringe were even more visible than usual because of the light in the bathroom, which also made his tanned white skin look unusually pale.

After he finished brushing his teeth, Jayden returned to his bedroom and pulled off his lime green pyjamas. He opened one of the drawers of his small wooden wardrobe next to his bed to find his black long-sleeved school uniform neatly prepared and ironed from yesterday. He quickly put it on. Wearing it was an odd concept to him, since he had gotten used to having the freedom to wear almost everything he wanted back home. It was one of the new things that Jayden found most difficult getting used to.

Putting the school satchel over his shoulder, Jayden was finally ready to head to Ryōō. He turned the lights off in his bedroom, which was still relatively dark because of the early morning hour. Jayden quietly walked through the narrow corridor to the entrance of the house. He eventually opened the door of the Ariyoshi residence and found himself outside, already feeling the cold April breeze on him.

Knowing that he no longer had the luxury of waiting for a school bus to pick him up, Jayden started walking in the direction of the nearest subway that would take him to the center of Kasukabe, and then he'd be able to walk to Ryōō. He had already tested the route from his house to the school a couple of days before, and calculated that it took roughly an hour and a half to get there.

There were not many cars on the roads this early. However, the left-hand traffic was one of the differences between Japan and America that Jayden was trying his best to get accustomed to for his own good. It was not easy, as that also meant changing his instincts.

The clear sky above was already brightening. Even in this remote area, there were many people who were already walking or cycling towards either work or school. Most of them wore work suits and uniforms. A comfortable silence was being kept, which put Jayden at ease and relaxed him for what was going to be his first day as a student in Japan.

The closest subway station in Kuki-shi, which was the city where he now lived, was only about five minutes away. There were a lot of people which were also headed in the direction of the underpass and Jayden found himself in the middle of a small crowd that had formed on the way.

The station was on a main road perpendicular to the small street he came from, one that was clustered with houses similar to the one his family now resided in. A bridge over a nearby river could be seen in the distance in one of the directions of the road, but what interested Jayden at that moment was the subway stop right in front of him. He descended down the stairs of the underpass next to the sidewalk.

Even with all the activity underground, having a subway pass for the month meant that Jayden only had to bring out the card from the pocket of his uniform and put it on one of the machine detectors that allowed him passage to the actual stop. There was a newspaper stand on the way there and he helped himself to the newest issue of a local Tokyo newspaper and put it in his satchel.

There was a screen above which showed how much time was left for the subway to come, but luckily it was only four minutes away. It wasn't long before the ground began to slightly vibrate before the imminent arrival of the train. The noise was growing louder and soon enough Jayden was able to see the rather rusty looking subway come into view and eventually come to a halt. A lot of people entered the car alongside him. He barely managed to find himself a free seat, but it was going to be a long ride to the center of Kasukabe and he wanted to be comfortable for the duration of the trip. To prevent boredom and to also keep himself informed, he took out the newspaper he had gotten minutes before and started reading it.

Luckily, Jayden's family had also taught him how to read Japanese when he was still young. It was not as easy for him as reading English, which he was much more used to, but understanding the headlines and most of what the articles said was not particularly difficult.

The subway stopped frequently on the way and waves of people got in and out of the car Jayden was in every time. Even though he was immersed in the newspaper, he noticed those crowds of people through his peripheral vision. At one of the initial stops a girl boarded with a winter _seifuku _on – a white and pink long-sleeved sailor outfit worn by schoolgirls, or so Jayden was told. She had a yellow bow in her short purple hair and she held her satchel tightly to her chest as she sat down not far from him, looking slightly apprehensive. Eventually she was joined by another girl who got on at one of the later stops. She was shorter and had long straight blue hair and was particularly animated in the following conversation between them – they were apparently friends. She had her eyes closed while she wildly gesticulated to the other girl. The amusing sight distracted Jayden for a moment before he continued reading one of the top articles.

While there were some disturbing stories about recent kidnapping cases, reading the newspaper worked like a charm. Before Jayden knew it, the announcer's voice in the subway car said that they had reached the center of Kasukabe. It almost felt a little too short of a ride for the distance that the subway travelled.

He got out of the station along with a crowd of other people that hastily rushed out of the underpass, among which were the two schoolgirls that had been in the same car as him.

Jayden, on the other hand, stopped for a moment to analyze his surroundings, having gotten back to the surface. He was standing in the middle of a very active and loud square. The buildings around were tall and had plenty of Japanese writing on them of many different commercials, some even animated and obnoxiously flashy. There were a lot of shops around, most of which looked very intriguing – Jayden didn't fail to notice the manga and video game stores among them. He hoped he would have time to check them out soon, but right now he couldn't afford being late for class.

The path from the center to the school itself was relatively straight-forward. One of the smaller streets that was filled with cafés and restaurants led the way out of the square towards a less condensed area with a few modern office buildings around. Jayden noticed that there were other students walking on the same road as him. They were mostly in groups and he could hear them talking to one another. He couldn't help but hope that he'll be able to find new people to hang out with like that in this new school soon. While he was still able to talk to his friends from America on the phone or on the computer, he already felt lonely being so far away from them.

Soon enough the distant façade of the school began revealing itself – the building was relatively isolated from any other structures close by. Jayden pulled up the long sleeve of his uniform to check whether he was late, but was pleasantly surprised that he was on time and even had a few minutes to spare.

Even if he hadn't checked to see where he was supposed to go before, he would have been able to figure it out by the crowd of students heading towards the entrance. His gaze was first fixed on a white, round three-floored structure in the middle of Ryōō High School with large windows on every story. The view inside showed that there were corridors connecting the two separate buildings that the school consisted of, judging by the silhouettes of various students going from one to the other. All boys wore black uniforms like his, while the girls had donned their respective winter sailor outfits. It was quite the contrast to his high school back in Portland, the students of which wore a myriad of different clothes and colors.

The entrance to the school itself comprised of two large doors next to each other, both under a metal canopy to the rear of the building. Jayden followed a couple of groups of students inside and noticed that there were a lot of people gathered around a nearby wall. Intrigued, he went to join them, setting his eyes on the list of all students and which class they were put in for the school year that was ahead of them.

It was not easy searching for his own name among the roster with all the people around, but he eventually found the words "Jayden Ariyoshi" spelled in Japanese on the list of students that would comprise Class 3-B. He apparently had to go to the eastern wing of the school to find the class room. That meant that he had to find the stairs to the third floor and also go through the corridors joining the two buildings of the school.

After his curiosity of the gathering of students was sated, Jayden took his time to look around so he would get an idea of where he was supposed to go. His eyes moved from the beige walls and white doors that led to different classrooms around him to a staircase at the end of a corridor to the left of him, which was where he decided to head towards.

The windows on the one side of the hallways he and a few other students went through offered a view towards the spacious yard, which was empty at that moment. The remainder of the school building could be seen as well, which formed a semicircle around it.

When Jayden eventually reached the third floor, he started looking at the classroom numbers as he walked past them until he finally reached the one he was searching for: 3-B.

While not everyone was seated yet, the classroom was full with at least two dozen people. Despite being punctual, Jayden must have been one of the last ones to get there. The teacher's desk was still empty though, which was a relief – he didn't want to give a bad first impression by being late. There was a lot of commotion in the room as he searched for an empty seat. He eventually found one next to the windows – the penultimate desk in the row. He sat down on the chair and put down the satchel next to him. The western wing of the school could be seen from his spot along with most of the yard.

Jayden was not oblivious to some students throwing an inquisitive glance in his direction, but he figured that it was understandable, given that he was a new student that they hadn't seen before. He proceeded to perform his own inspection of the class and was startled to see that the two girls he had noticed on the subway were there, as well, in his own class. The blue color of the short girl's hair was unmistakable as he saw her once again briskly talking about something to her friend.

It was at that moment, however, when Jayden heard the sound of the class door being closed and saw that a woman had entered, prompting everyone who wasn't next to their seat to scurry around in a hurry. He didn't fail to notice the woman's amused smirk as she watched that play out.

"Good morning, class 3-B!" the tall blond-haired teacher exclaimed while on her way to her desk, putting down the book she was carrying with her.

"Good morning, Ms. Kuroi!" replied most of the students, having already stood up, a gesture Jayden was quick to follow.

"Sit down, sit down," Ms. Kuroi said nonchalantly, waving her hand dismissively. The students obeyed as instructed. She put her hands on her waist and grinned, a single sharp tooth protruding from one corner of her mouth. Her sharp pale green eyes flickered with amusement. "I hope you've had a nice vacation, second-years. And I'm sure you've all spent it productively, familiarizing yourselves with the Muromachi period of Japan and Ashikaga Yoshimitsu's reign like I asked you to."

An uncomfortable silence followed.

"Either way, the test tomorrow will speak for itself. Don't worry, your impeccable knowledge on the subject will not remain unrecognized."

Students exchanged nervous glances between themselves. Jayden was worried as well – surely he would have been warned about this beforehand.

"I can't believe how many years have passed and this still works on every class," Ms. Kuroi laughed, "Lighten up, students, you won't be having the test about the Muromachi era until we actually cover it in school, which we'll be doing for at least a week."

The room was soon filled with sighs of relief and laughs. Jayden grinned, he liked this teacher already. The thought of him not having prepared for an important test at all this early in the school year had been alarming.

"I'm also seeing some new faces around here – we have three new students in the class who have transferred to our school, as far as I am aware," Ms. Kuroi announced, her gaze landing on Jayden for a brief moment. "Before we begin the lesson, I'll call each of your names in order and then you'll come to the board, face the class and introduce yourselves to the rest. Don't be shy!"

Jayden was not particularly nervous, but knowing that he wasn't the only new guy around provided a sense of relief and eased any tension he might have been feeling beforehand.

The other two newcomers were Japanese and they were first on the list to introduce themselves, both of them boys. Their anxiety was obvious as each took a turn to say a couple of sentences about themselves before returning to their respective desks. Afterwards, it was Jayden's name that was finally called by Ms. Kuroi, albeit in a slight accent. He stood up from his chair and went to the board to face the class, feeling a lot of eyes on him even before he did so.

"Well, hello everybody," he said in his best Japanese, smiling earnestly at his classmates, "My name is Jayden Ariyoshi and I am from America. I have lived in Portland, Oregon all my life, so being here is a completely new experience for me, and I would be lying if I said that I don't feel a bit overwhelmed at times. But I look forward to being a part of this class and meeting you all."

"We're glad to have you here," the teacher smiled at him from her desk, as did a lot of the students in the room.

"Thank you, Ms. Kuroi," Jayden replied, now on his way back to his seat.

There was a friendly atmosphere in the whole class that reminded Jayden of his old school. If his first impressions were correct, he expected to have a good time here. On the whole, things maybe wouldn't be that much different from home.

"We have a lot of material to go over though, so we might as well get started," Ms. Kuroi eventually continued, now with a more serious expression on her face. She stood up and picked up a piece of chalk from her desk and started writing on the black board. The sound of notebooks being opened and pages being turned over filled the room.

"The Muromachi era is a turning point in the history of Japan. It follows the Kenmu Restoration and many claim that, contrary to popular belief, the year of its actual beginning is…"

* * *

With a contented sigh, Jayden relaxed the muscles in his fingers, his hand slightly aching from having to write notes in Japanese from Ms. Kuroi's history lesson and from trying to keep the pace of her lecture. He had spent at least a couple of weeks practicing writing in the language before arriving in Japan, and while it certainly helped, getting perfectly accustomed would take a bit more effort.

It was now breaktime, and Jayden found himself wondering what to do. Most people stayed in the classroom and began talking amongst each other, so he figured that he might give starting a conversation with someone a try.

He noticed that one of the other new boys was still sitting on his own by his desk, the first in the window row, and reading what appeared to be a manga book. Thinking that he probably felt lonely, being new like himself, Jayden stood up and approached him. The short brown-haired Japanese didn't lift his head until Jayden spoke.

"Hey. Keiji, right?" he asked him, remembering the name from his introduction. The other newcomer still seemed to be slightly apprehensive, giving Jayden a suspicious look through the glasses he wore.

"Yes. And you are… the American," Keiji answered in a low tone, almost inaudible from all the chatter in the room.

"That's right. I'm Jayden." He then proceeded to stretch his hand for a handshake. A moment passed before Keiji tentatively accepted it. "So, what manga are you reading?" Jayden inquired, nodding towards the book.

"_Your Last Breath_," Keiji replied, showing him the cover – a horrendously disfigured woman chasing three small children in a graveyard setting.

"Horror? Not my cup of tea," Jayden said after inspecting the cover, "I'm more into adventure fantasy manga. I've been hooked on _Master of the Dungeon _for years now, from what I hear it's very popular here as well."

"You read manga?" Keiji asked incredulously, still bent on giving him suspicious stares, as if he carried some kind of a disease.

"Yeah, I do, it's one of my hobbies. You haven't read _Master of the Dungeon_?"

"No. To be honest, I'm not really a manga fan. I just bought this to have something to read in school."

"Ah, I see. Then you haven't played the game that is based on the manga either, I suspect? _Surface Breach_?"

"No, I don't play video games," Keiji retorted. Jayden was rapidly losing interest in the conversation, but he wanted to make the effort to find some common ground with the student. Just as he was about to reply, however, a girl's voice right beside him startled both of them.

"Did I hear _Surface Breach_? Have I finally found somebody in the class who plays that game?"

To Jayden's surprise, it was the blue-haired girl he had seen before on the subway who had walked in on the conversation. She had apparently just stood up from having food with her friends, a half-eaten chocolate cornet in her hand. Her wide open green eyes shimmered hopefully as she quickly looked from one boy to the other.

"Yeah, I play it," Jayden replied, still taken aback. "Or used to, at least. My guild disbanded a few months ago and it wasn't interesting after that anymore."

"You have to continue playing it," she immediately replied with vigor, almost pleading with him, "They recently added a whole new dungeon and also installed a patch that fixed the drop distribution bug."

"Oh, goodness, wasn't that irritating!" Jayden said in a chuckle.

"When you weren't the one lucky enough to get _all_ of the drops in the dungeon, yes, it was," she answered animatedly. "But now it's back to normal again and I just started a new mage character – I'm already up to level twenty. Even the teacher plays sometimes."

"What? You mean Ms. Kuroi?" Jayden asked with incredulity.

"Yes," the girl replied as she closed her eyes and raised her index finger in the air knowingly. "She likes to have people believe that she went on a trip during the vacation, but I know where she was – and it wasn't Mount Fuji, but the Ophidian Catacombs of Torment."

"You're kidding me!"

"No, I am not. In fact, we were both in the same raid only yesterday," the girl continued, opening her eyes. "I'm Konata, by the way. You were one of the new guys, right? The American?"

"Yes. Jayden," he answered, wondering whether anyone actually bothered to memorize his name when he introduced himself. He glanced backwards to Keiji, but the boy was once again buried in his horror manga book and didn't seem to be even listening anymore.

"See?" Konata turned her head backwards to the other two girls who were sitting on the desk in front of the middle row just beside them. "I am not the only one student here who plays the game! Oh, where is Kagami when I need her?"

The two girls smiled faintly, both of whom also held a chocolate cornet of their own. Jayden recognized one of them as the other girl who he had seen with Konata on the subway before. She was joined by another one with long pink hair and large round glasses.

"Oh, I'm sorry if I intrude on your friends," Jayden quickly collected himself, now aware that he had probably kept them waiting for Konata to return.

"Not at all – this is Tsukasa," she nodded towards the one with the purple hair and yellow bow, who smiled nervously at him. "And this is Miyuki," she pointed to the slightly taller girl with glasses who mimicked Tsukasa's gesture. "Come on, you should join us!"

"It's nice to meet you all, but I don't want to impose," Jayden said, unsure as to whether the other girls would appreciate him being there with them.

"It is no problem, Jayden-san," Miyuki replied in assurance, smiling meekly as she pronounced his name with an acute accent in her soft voice. Tsukasa nodded along.

Even though Jayden was eager to have people to talk to in school, he didn't want to force his presence on them if they had a problem with it. From what he could see, the girls seemed sincere in saying that they wouldn't mind him joining them rather than do so just out of politeness. He rushed to his satchel to find his lunchbox and take out the sandwich that was inside.

"We were only discussing how to eat a chocolate cornet anyway," Konata added wearily as he approached them again.

"Really?" Jayden inquired, pulling a nearby chair to join them, sitting between Konata and Tsukasa on the table with Miyuki facing him. "I've never had one of these, I have no idea. I would have thought that you were supposed to eat it from the head, however."

"But… aren't we eating it from the head?" Tsukasa asked faintly, confusion evident on her round bluish eyes.

"Isn't the fat end the head?" Jayden pointed towards Konata's chocolate cornet's bottom. He took a bite from his turkey sandwich, taking a moment to enjoy the pleasant taste before continuing. "Won't the chocolate leak out otherwise?"

"Eating that way would be uncomfortable for me," Miyuki replied shyly, "I cut the thin end off and eat the two pieces separately."

"These things should have come with a manual," Konata said in an exasperated sigh, her eyes closed as she bit off a huge chunk of the remainder of her chocolate cornet.

"I thought you would be more knowledgeable about this than me," Jayden said in a chuckle, watching Konata's annoyed expression with amusement.

He took another bite of his sandwich, quickly devouring it while the girls struggled with their chocolate cornets, each of them using a different method to deal with the peculiar food.

"Kona-chan, do you and Jayden-san play the same game?" Tsukasa soon inquired after being done with her dessert.

"We haven't yet, but we will," Konata replied with confidence, "Jayden will pick up the game again and join the server I'm on."

"Is that what I'm going to do?" Jayden asked with amusement, not being able to recall saying that he would.

"Yes, and he will do so at his earliest convenience."

"That essay Ms. Kuroi gave us to write about the Kannō Incident and the resurgence of the Southern Court may put a hold on that."

"That's right, I forgot that you're still new and don't know just how easy writing homework can be here," Konata said, waving her hand dismissively as she closed her eyes with complacency, chewing the last piece of her chocolate cornet. "You don't need to worry about that essay."

"Why shouldn't I worry?" Jayden asked with confusion.

"Because what you do is wait for my friend Kagami to write it and then you copy it, changing a few words to avoid suspicion."

"I think I will stick to writing it myself," Jayden replied, shaking his head sideways while the blue-haired girl still had a nonchalant expression on her face. He added, "I am not a fan of school assignments, but I always at least try to do homework on my own. What if you weren't so lucky to have someone to copy it from?"

"She doesn't always let me copy her notes anyway, so I manage somehow," Konata answered in a shrug. She didn't look particularly concerned with the concept of homework.

"I always have trouble concentrating when doing homework," Tsukasa admitted, her cheeks slightly blushing. "It's very difficult for me to focus."

"It's not the easiest thing for me to do as well," Jayden said in a nod, "I try to set myself a schedule when I have something to work on to make sure I always have time to do it."

"I have tried that and it never works," Konata spoke with a sigh as she closed her eyes, "I can't go through an hour without a short rest. And playing a MMO is very relaxing, ideal for a break."

"Until you get carried away in a raid with your guild or stumble upon a unique drop, right?" Jayden asked with a grin. The look on Konata's face and the smirk that had formed on her lips was confirmation enough that he was not far from the truth. "That's what I thought."

Before they could continue on with their conversation, everyone in the room suddenly started going back to their seats in a hurried fashion. Jayden had an idea of what had just happened, but he still glanced towards the door of the classroom, seeing that the math teacher had just arrived. The stern look in the short bald man's eyes prompted Jayden to rush back to his desk even faster than he otherwise would have.

* * *

"…and if you join I will also give you some of my spare weapons and armor!"

Konata was excited at the prospect of having somebody from her school to play _Surface Breach_ with. She couldn't talk about it with Ms. Kuroi as much as she wanted to, and with the American from her class also being a part of it she would finally have that opportunity. Maybe with him around, Kagami would stop berating her so much about being the hardcore gamer she was, too.

As they walked towards the subway station in the center of Kasukabe with Tsukasa and Miyuki, now their classes for the day over with, Konata felt like she was finally getting through to Jayden about playing the game with her. She was looking at him hopefully, lifting up her head due to the fact that he was taller than her. His height was similar to Tsukasa's or Miyuki's, his build average, not particularly muscular nor skinny. Jayden let out a sigh before returning her gaze and replying to her.

"I'm not saying I don't _want_ to, Konata," he told her as the two of them walked side by side through the narrow street leading to the center, "I'm saying that I don't want to get on Ms. Kuroi's bad side by not doing the homework first. If I find the time, then I will play the game with you. What did you say your username was?"

"_iluvgirlswithglasses_," Konata answered proudly.

"You'd think I'd remember that…"

While on their way through the street, Konata didn't fail to notice the ominous gathering of clouds over them – a sign of an unexpected storm. Her eyes quickly scanned the stores around them until they landed on a favorite manga shop of hers, deftly inspecting the newest covers on the window display. It was a good thing that she had an enormous stash of manga books waiting to be read at home, which helped in quenching her desire to spend the rest of her pocket money on even more enticing titles.

"It's getting cold," Tsukasa meekly said, slightly shivering from the cold air that slowly surrounded them.

"A storm is nearing," Miyuki added, her purple eyes fixed on the cloud cover above. Tsukasa, who was right beside her, followed her gaze upwards.

"I don't like my hair getting wet in the rain," Jayden commented, brushing a few of his longer bangs aside, the dark green shade on his fringe visible even in darker lighting.

"You don't have waist-long hair that takes forever to put right," Konata voiced her complaints with the upkeep necessary to maintain her hair. She wasn't looking forward to it being drenched with water – they had to get moving before it was too late. She dramatically pointed towards the sky and yelled to the rest, "A flag has been triggered – incoming environmental hazard! Let's pick up the pace, people!"

Leading the way through the street to the central square, Konata began to feel the first drops of rain on her clothes. In her hurry not to have her hair ruined in the first day of school, she tripped on the pavement curb and almost dropped her satchel. But that was not going to stop her – she could hear footsteps striding behind her, meaning that the others were following her as well. Being athletic and good at running in school helped her immeasurably, and it wasn't long before she had the central Kasukabe square in sight.

Konata didn't even slow down, but she managed to catch a glimpse of the newest video games on display in the store before she eventually reached the underpass. Along with a crowd of other people, she quickly went down the stairs under cover. She was there just in the nick of time – the rain outside was already intensifying. The mission was a success. Tsukasa and Miyuki quickly arrived next, both of them had held their satchels over their heads to protect themselves from the storm.

"Where is Jayden?" Konata asked the girls in confusion after a moment spent in collecting herself. Tsukasa needed a minute to catch her breath before replying.

"I don't know, Kona-chan, I thought he was right behind us."

He couldn't have left without saying goodbye, and he had told them that he was going to the same stop as them.

Konata was just about to conclude that he had gone inside somewhere to protect himself from the rain when she saw him standing above the stairs to the station and eventually descending them – with a black umbrella in his hand.

"Am I the only one who watched the weather forecast last night?" Jayden said with amusement as he approached the girls, a teasing smile on his face.

"You had an umbrella all along?" Konata asked incredulously.

"I was just going to say that I did when you all bolted towards the station," Jayden explained, closing his umbrella in the meantime. "So I already had something prepared to counteract the triggered 'flag' – a protective buff, you could say."

"Good work, Jayden," Konata replied, closing her eyes and pointing her index finger at him. "You will prove to be a useful support healer to my tank in _Surface Breach_."

"Miyuki-san, do you understand what Kona-chan and Jayden-san are talking about?" Tsukasa asked her friend.

"I am puzzled myself," Miyuki said as she gave her a nervous smile.

* * *

Because of the rain outside, the subway cars were even more crowded than usual. Konata hadn't found a free seat, and neither had Tsukasa and Jayden, who were now standing next to her, their hands on different railings of the car. Talking to one another was difficult, for they were almost being squished by the people around them. Miyuki had already gone to the other direction towards the Tokyo Metropolitan Area and was probably in a similar predicament.

"So this is the route to your house, as well?" Jayden asked Konata. She almost couldn't see him, being surrounded by people much taller than her. Her hand also barely made contact with one of the railings close by and threatened to slip. She was definitely not feeling comfortable.

"No, I had to leave on the previous stop but I'm coming with Tsukasa today. I'm going to see how Kagami is doing."

"You mentioned her a few times before," Jayden merely stated.

"She is Tsukasa's sister and a friend," Konata answered, "She's in the other class, but she was sick and couldn't come this morning."

"I see. Hopefully she's feeling better," Jayden said, to which Konata and Tsukasa nodded in agreement.

"I think she is." Tsukasa replied with a smile, "Sis is down with a cold, but she says she is quickly recovering. She just feels very tired now."

"Wait, I thought you said she had the flu?" Konata asked her with confusion.

"Isn't that the same thing?" Tsukasa asked back, equally confounded.

"Huh." Jayden had his brows furrowed in thought.

"Where's Miyuki when we need her?" Konata said with a grin after a brief moment of silence had passed between the three of them.

Before they could figure out the perplexing mystery, the announcer's voice in the subway informed the passengers that they had already reached the Takanomiya Shrine stop – which was where Konata and Tsukasa needed to go to.

"We are leaving here, Jayden," Konata informed, her voice barely audible from all the chatter around them.

"Oh, I'm only two stops away from here," Jayden replied with surprise. He suddenly began struggling, trying to move with all the people crammed into the subway. He eventually succeeded in stretching his hand towards her and offering her his umbrella. "There's probably still a storm outside – take this. My house is pretty close to the station I get off at."

"Are you sure?" Konata asked him, slightly taken aback.

"Yeah, take it. You can return it to me when we see each other next time at school tomorrow."

"Not unless you show up in the server today," Konata replied, feeling a grin pull at her lips as she took the umbrella. "I've got leverage now."

Jayden rolled his eyes in response but smiled despite himself.

"Thank you, Jayden-san," Tsukasa said for a goodbye, the American nodding their way as they went out of the subway.

It was still difficult to navigate through the crowds of people even after leaving the car. Konata wouldn't have been able to hear Tsukasa if she had said anything in the meantime, but they were eventually isolated enough from the underground noise that they were able to talk to each other. The sound of thunder could be heard above even though the girls weren't outside yet.

"Jayden-san is very nice," Tsukasa said meekly.

"Hopefully he's also good at the game," Konata added, opening the umbrella when they eventually reached the passage out of the underpass. It was big enough for the two of them and Konata held it over both of their heads as they started climbing up the steps, surrounded by the falling raindrops.

"I would have waited for the rain to stop before leaving the subway if he hadn't given us the umbrella," Tsukasa told her. "Do you think he will be alright?"

"He said his house is very close by, so he's probably fine," Konata replied. "I will ask him when he shows up on the server."

Konata wondered about the characters Jayden had in the game and thought of ways to get him to play a role in the party that would best suit her own.

As they continued walking towards the Hiiragi household, she also eagerly awaited to see Kagami – as much fun she was having discussing the game, she missed having her around and getting the chance to tease her.

* * *

The rain was still pouring down as Jayden looked on through the large window in the dining room of his family's house. It was very dark outside even though it was only the middle hours of the afternoon. While it was weaker now, it hadn't given any signs of stopping before so he had made a run for it and quickly got back home soaked. His mother had berated him for having forgotten his umbrella, but after he explained what happened she was quick to let the matter go and let him finally change his clothes and put on his favorite black collared button-up shirt.

Hearing footsteps behind him, Jayden turned around to see his younger sister Kaiya enter the room, wearing her orange T-shirt that he knew she liked. She was quick to help herself to some candy of the box of sweets that he had opened and left on the dining room table. The hunger was evident in her round brown eyes, which she closed as soon as she began chewing the chocolate. She then proceeded to sit down on the couch next to the table, which was right in front of the TV. She curled her knees up to her small slender body, palpably losing herself in the sweetly taste. Jayden laughed mirthfully, sitting down beside her and grabbing another piece of candy from the box himself.

"They're very good, aren't they, Kai?" he asked her before eating the piece.

"Fantastic," the shorter sibling replied cheerfully, beaming at him as she chewed. "Where did you say you found them?"

"It wasn't easy," Jayden answered in a sigh. He took a moment to enjoy the taste of vanilla before continuing. "Most sweet shops around here are packed to the gills with all sorts of pockies, and while they aren't bad, they just aren't as filling as I'd like."

"Tell me about it," Kaiya nodded. "I saw a lot of my new classmates eating those things."

"Have you seen anyone eat a chocolate cornet?" Jayden asked her, to which Kaiya shook her head in reply. "It's the biggest mystery in the world of candy, as I discovered today – even among the Japanese." He took another piece of candy. "I think I'll stick to these."

"So where did you find them?"

"There's a supermarket close to our subway station on the other side of the main road. That's where I found them yesterday."

"Cool! I'll remember that the next time I'm there," Kaiya said, obvious excitement on her face. "I'm totally buying a few boxes."

"Don't spend _all _the money mom gives you," Jayden chuckled, putting his hand on her shoulder, "I know how difficult it is to resist taking a whole bunch of different sweets, believe me, but you have to find a way to restrain yourself somehow."

"I think it'll be easier for me than you," Kaiya replied confidently with an amused grin, "You're the one who can't hold back whenever there is something remotely sweet at home. I definitely won't be buying too much since I know anything I get will be gone by the day after."

"Okay, let's not exaggerate things," Jayden said, feeling a blush creep on his face, ruffling his sister's short shoulder length hair. He had always found it interesting how much the black nuances in the otherwise light green color of her hair resembled his own.

After a fair bit of chuckling, Kaiya's face suddenly fell as she sighed. Jayden followed her gaze towards the TV screen, a Japanese soap opera running on the channel. That seemed like an odd thing to upset her.

"What is it, Kai?" Jayden asked with concern.

"Talking with you just reminded me how much I miss hanging out with my old friends back home." Kaiya answered sadly. "There wasn't anyone I could really talk to at school today. I get the feeling they don't like me there."

"Hey, it's only been a day. I know that it's difficult adjusting to this place but you should give it more time," Jayden assured her, looking into her eyes earnestly. "You will eventually find somewhere you'll be able to fit in."

"I hope. It was difficult enough getting used to wearing that funny uniform," his sister replied, the disapproval in her voice evident. "Have you had any luck yourself?"

"Yeah, I think so. It's still early to say," Jayden replied after a moment of thought. "It's certainly not hopeless, Kai. And your Japanese is as good as mine, so that shouldn't be a problem for you."

Kaiya looked a bit more hopeful after Jayden's reassuring words. He picked up the box of sweets which had only one left and offered it to her. She eventually picked it up and smiled at him.

"Thank you, Jayde."

"It's no problem." Her brother squeezed her shoulder gently and then slowly stood up. He said, "Alright, I think I'm going to start working on an essay I have to make for history class."

"Oh, gosh," Kaiya replied in an exasperated sigh, "You wouldn't believe how much homework they gave us for the first day. The first day! Isn't that a little cruel?"

"I know, it's probably going to be tough here. You're going to do some of it today though, right?" Jayden asked, furrowing his eyebrows as he looked at her earnestly.

"Well, it's the first day! That doesn't count, right?"

"If you say so. Then that makes first days, last days, Mondays, Fridays, last week of every month, weekends, mornings and evenings when doing homework is not an option?"

"Fine, I'll see what I can do today," Kaiya sighed in defeat.

"Trust me, it'll be much easier if you are consistent," Jayden told her before heading out to the hallway.

Musing about how lazy his sister could be sometimes, Jayden couldn't help but chuckle at himself as he entered his room. He had to put the light on because of how dark it was, a result of the still ongoing storm outside. Getting his books out of his satchel, he started organizing them neatly on his desk and prepared the ones he would have to bring to school the next morning.

It was not easy fighting the temptation to rush to his computer, which was also on his desk, and run the game so that he could contact and play with Konata. He knew that it would be even more difficult to divert his attention away from it as soon as he was into it, however. He wouldn't be able to focus on the homework he had to do and the essay he needed to write afterwards.

Jayden suspected that Konata wouldn't be too happy, given how lax she seemed to be about homework. He would get the chance to play the game with her when there wasn't that much to do.

With a sigh, he opened the history book that was his reference material for the Muromachi era and started working.


	2. 9th of April, 2013

**Someone Else**

**Chapter 2: 9****th**** of April, 2013**

Konata sighed as she dropped her satchel on the floor and put her head on the desk, feeling extremely tired. She had barely slept that night and right now, school was one of the last things on her mind. Not even the chatter and noise in the classroom did anything to open her deeply closed weary eyes. Not until she eventually heard a familiar voice utter something right beside her.

"Kona-chan, is everything alright?" she could hear Tsukasa ask with worry.

Looking up to see her friend standing next to her with a frown, Konata rapidly shook her head in an attempt to wake herself up and find the strength to even answer the girl.

"Long raid last night," she finally drawled. "Finally got the armor drop I had been trying to get for so long."

Tsukasa's bewildered stare was enough to indicate that she probably hadn't understood a word Konata had said. The blue-haired girl yawned before clarifying.

"Just played the game until very late, Tsukasa. Didn't have much time for sleep."

"Oh," Tsukasa uttered with a nod. "Sis stayed up late too, working on the homework Ms. Kuroi gave us."

The Hiiragi daughter slightly blushed, her eyes looking away from Konata.

"I… fell asleep and couldn't get much work done. I just couldn't focus."

"Don't worry, you're not the only one," Konata waved her hand dismissively, rubbing her eye with the other. "Is Kagami here? I thought she said she would come today."

"Oh, yes she is, but her class has already started. I think Ms. Kuroi is late for ours."

"Wonder why," Konata replied with a devilish, knowing grin.

Just at that time she saw Jayden going through the door of the classroom. She wouldn't let him walk past her desk without talking to him first, deciding to wait for him to get closer in order to accost him. He cast the two girls a somewhat tired smile on his way to his desk, one that Tsukasa returned but Konata didn't.

"You didn't show up on the server," she stated grumpily.

"Good morning to you as well," Jayden spoke. He continued with a sigh, "We have a lot of homework to do during the week, Konata. I didn't want to save everything until the last minute."

"What did you work on, Jayden-san?" Tsukasa asked curiously.

"That history essay. I couldn't do it all but I'm at least halfway through."

"I'll have you know that if you had joined us last night, you could have been the proud owner of the Prayer Beads of the Incantation of Treatment," Konata said with irritation.

"Sorry, I'm not going to be playing a healer," Jayden shook his head. "A mage is more my type of class."

"Fine," Konata breathed out. A healer is what she had the most trouble finding in a party and it would have been of great help if Jayden decided to play that class. "Just get to playing the game, I will persuade you to switch class then."

"Okay," Jayden said in a chuckle. He continued walking towards his desk before suddenly turning around. "Do you by any chance have that umbrella I gave you?"

Konata's eyes widened. She had forgotten about it completely.

"Well…" she began, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly and closing her eyes as she shrugged.

"It's alright. Just don't forget to bring it next time," Jayden said in a sigh, proceeding to sit down on his desk at the back of the window row.

Konata felt bad about forgetting to return his umbrella since it was of great help to both her and Tsukasa. She turned to look at her friend again when she noticed that she had already sat down herself. Instead, Konata fixed her gaze on the entering Ms. Kuroi.

"Morning everyone," the woman said drowsily, obviously trying to appear cheerful and energetic but failing miserably. Konata grinned to herself, knowing exactly why her teacher hadn't gotten sleep last night either, for she had been busy fighting centaurs in the Shrouded Halls of Gloom.

* * *

Finally closing his notebook with relief, Jayden quickly started rummaging through his satchel, his stomach growling. Japanese history lessons, while entertaining for him, were long and eventually tiring. Even if it was something he had never studied before, Jayden was genuinely interested in finding out more about Japan, but not when hunger was threatening to overcome him.

After taking out his lunchbox, the American looked towards Konata and her friends Tsukasa and Miyuki already grouping around her desk. Even though he was perfectly willing to eat the sandwich anywhere he was, Jayden wanted to join the girls, for he had fun hanging around with them. He had just started heading towards them when Konata herself looked back at him and nodded, inviting him over.

"Do you mind if I join you again?" Jayden asked the girls when he approached them.

"You needn't ask, Jayden-san," Miyuki meekly replied, closing her purple eyes and giving him an assuring smile.

He pulled up a chair next to their desk, one that was next to Keiji's table. The Japanese boy was once again buried in his manga book. Jayden attempted to give him a friendly nod, but the brown-haired student seemed oblivious to the world around him, not even registering the noise in the classroom.

Once Jayden sat down on the desk, Tsukasa and Konata on either side, he noticed that they had each brought out a box-shaped white plate in front of them. There were small portions of a lot of different foods clustered close together, among which Jayden could spot rice and several cooked vegetables.

"What is this?" Jayden asked before having a bite of his sandwich, gesturing towards the plates.

"Oh. This is called bento," Miyuki answered. "It is usually a home-packed meal that a lot of students here like to bring along at school. It can consist of a lot of different foods, but traditionally people make them with rice, meat and pickled or cooked vegetables. I personally like mine with fish meat."

"I might try one of these sometime," Jayden said in approval, nodding his head as he chewed on his sandwich.

Sating his hunger had almost made him oblivious to the fact that Miyuki had suddenly turned around, apparently following Konata and Tsukasa's gaze. They were looking at another girl who was approaching their desk with a quick, excited pace, a lunchbox in her right hand.

"Hey!" she spoke joyfully, giving the girls a soft smile and waving her other hand as she closed in.

The others greeted her happily, referring to her as Kagami.

"Hey, Sis!" Tsukasa also joined in. Kagami gave her a gentle squeeze on the shoulder as she stood beside her.

"Kagami is back to school, I'm overjoyed!" Konata almost yelled, her green eyes lit up and fixed on the girl's face with expectation.

"I am not carrying my history notes with me, Konata," Kagami was quick to reply with amusement, putting her hands on her waist. Konata exhaled heavily at the response she got and put one of her hands over her heart as she closed her eyes.

"You wound me, Kagami. You think I'm not happy to see you because you are back on your feet, which is the one and only reason for my inexplicable delight, I assure you."

Kagami shook her head in mock disbelief. She eventually moved her gaze from Konata to Jayden, curiosity evident in her sharp bluish eyes. He noticed her long straight purple hair, which she wore in pigtails and was put in a pair of brown ribbons, and the way it shifted as she tilted her head in his direction. A lot of Kagami's features resembled Tsukasa, and yet, on the whole, she was quite different from her. The way she looked at Jayden spoke of her own inspection of him that she was doing.

"Oh! I'm Jayden," he introduced himself after remembering that he probably had to, doing a slight wave of his hand while still holding the remainder of his sandwich in the other.

"I'm Kagami," she replied with a nod of her head, an unreadable expression on her face. "Tsukasa mentioned you."

"Ah, did she?" he uttered in surprise, giving Kagami's sister a glance. Looking back at her he added, "I heard that you were sick. Are you feeling better?"

"Yes, I am actually. It wasn't so bad yesterday, but I was still too tired then," she answered confidently. Her countenance softened as she said, "Thank you for giving your umbrella to Tsukasa and Konata, by the way. You didn't have to."

"It's no problem," Jayden replied with a smile, turning to face Konata. "Of course, it would have been nice if I got it back, but I'm not in a hurry."

Konata gave him an annoyed stare in response to his teasing.

"That's Konata for you," Kagami said in a heartfelt chuckle, redirecting the girl's leer to her.

Jayden was aware that all chairs on the four sides of the desk were occupied, and felt uneasy being there with Kagami standing next to the group.

"I, uh, will go finish up this sandwich at my desk," he spoke, already starting to stand up from the chair.

"Oh, don't worry, I will sit next to Tsukasa," Kagami replied in a haste, looking around for the nearest chair to pull to the table. She eventually sat down between her sister and Miyuki and put her lunchbox down on the desk. She started opening it to reveal her own bento inside.

The others finally continued eating while Kagami gave Jayden an assessing stare and folded her hands on the desk.

"So you are from America, then?" she asked him.

"Yeah, I am. My father's Japanese and used to live here for a long time though," Jayden answered.

"Why did you move here, to this school?" Kagami inquired with curiosity.

"My grandmother has been very sick for a few months now," Jayden started explaining. "My father wanted to be with her and assist in any way he can. With some help he managed to find an accounting job in Kasukabe and somewhere for my sister and I to continue our education, so we moved here."

"I see. I'm sorry that your grandmother is not feeling well," Kagami replied, her expression softening again.

"Thanks," Jayden said, giving an honest smile. "Unfortunately, I have only seen her a few times whenever she visited us in Portland."

The little contact with his grandparents in Japan was something that Jayden had always lamented, but being here now he hoped he would be able to make up for lost time.

"Your Japanese is very good," Kagami stated. "Were you raised bilingual?"

"Goodness, Kagami, what's with the interrogation?" Konata said in a laughter laced voice. "That food in your plate has an expiration date, you know."

"It's not a problem, Konata," Jayden firmly told her, turning to face the girl, "There's no harm in the questions she asks, and I'm happy to answer them."

"Some of us want to know more about a person beyond what level in a video game they are and what weapons they have," Kagami spoke at her friend with vigor, but picked up the chopsticks in her lunchbox and grabbing a piece of food nonetheless.

"Ah, Tsukasa. I see you haven't missed any details in your recounting of the day," Konata commented amusedly, making Kagami's sister blush and look away anxiously.

"Well, I couldn't understand what you and Jayden-san were talking about most of the time," Tsukasa replied in a nervous chuckle.

"I think 'video games' would be a good summary to that," Jayden said, and then turned to Kagami, "But to answer your question, my parents helped teach me both English and Japanese when I was growing up, yes."

"If I remember right, I read that being raised bilingually helps a person have quicker cognitive development and better listening perception, and is known to even help them become better at math," Miyuki explained, looking upwards thoughtfully.

"I don't know about that," Jayden replied with a chuckle, finally taking another bite from his sandwich, "I'm really bad at math. It's one of my worst subjects."

"Mine too," Konata spoke excitedly.

"At least there won't be a math test for some time," Kagami said. "The upcoming history exam is what we have to study for first."

"I am very worried about it," Tsukasa turned her head towards her sister. "There's only a few days left and I have to prepare for it somehow, but I can't bring myself to."

"We'll figure out a way," Kagami smiled at her. "I will try to help you concentrate at least, and then you will have an easier time studying on your own."

"Thank you, Sis," Tsukasa beamed back at her.

"I need help concentrating as well, Kagami," Konata said.

"Concentrating on copying, right?" Kagami threw a glance at Konata's direction, furrowing her eyebrows at her.

"Yes."

"At least pretend to be trying to study on your own…" Kagami closed her eyes and shook her head in disapproval.

Jayden couldn't help but chuckle. He remembered the times where he had tried to get his own sister Kaiya to get to work, as well. Even to this day, she still had trouble fighting sloth.

He hurried up to finish his sandwich, as the girls did the same with their own food, for their next couple of classes were scheduled to begin soon. Jayden did not want to go through any more of that with an empty stomach.

* * *

As opposed to what yesterday's weather had been, the blue sky was now perfectly clear and the air was warmer, too. The change was registered in people's faces, as well – most wore more pleasant expressions that must have reflected Jayden's own.

He walked alongside Konata as they headed towards the center of Kasukabe on their way back from school after the last bell for the day had chimed minutes ago. Kagami was right behind them, Tsukasa and Miyuki following her close by, all of whom were talking amongst each other.

"So you're saying that you will play the game today?" Konata said in hopeful expectation, her green eyes lit up as she stared sideways at him.

"Yes, yes," Jayden told her. He smiled amusedly at her and how childishly excited she looked. "That's the benefit of studying on time, Konata. You will be able to enjoy gaming more when you know you don't have homework that you would worry about doing."

"Ah, I don't worry about such things," Konata waved her hand dismissively and closed her eyes. "You should ease up, the world's not going to end if you don't do your homework on time."

"It's a responsibility just like any other, Konata," Jayden firmly told her. "I think you might be a tad too lax when it comes to that. That's why you eventually just resort to copying, and that's not always going to work out for you."

"I've already got Kagami pestering me about this every now and again," Konata replied nonchalantly, "I don't need another one to do the same thing."

"Well, she is right," Jayden spoke decisively. "You might try taking her advice to heart sometime."

Jayden noticed that his comments about this had annoyed Konata a little, who wore a slight frown after what he said, one that she tried to cover up. He would enjoy playing the game as much as her, but not if it meant neglecting any obligations that he had.

Konata turned around towards the other girls. The group stopped in the middle of the narrow street that led the way to the center.

"Let's go to the manga store everybody!" Konata exclaimed. "I saw some new stuff yesterday, but I haven't given them a proper look yet. That's something that needs to be rectified."

"Alright. It's not far from the station anyway," Kagami nodded, adjusting the strap of her satchel hanging from her shoulder with her hand.

"I might see something interesting there myself," Jayden said.

"You like reading manga too?" Kagami asked curiously.

"Yeah, I do. I don't have as many books as Konata probably does, but back home there weren't as many manga stores around."

"Okay then, let's go!" Konata interjected, picking up the pace as she excitedly headed towards their intended destination.

Jayden and Kagami shared an amused glance among themselves before they started catching up with Konata. Tsukasa and Miyuki followed them close by.

"You're a fan of manga as well," Kagami looked at him sideways with a soft smile on her face. "Why haven't you joined Konata in her mad dash to the store?"

"I'm not _that_ excited about it," Jayden grinned. "That's a whole new level of being a fan that I don't think I've reached myself. Nor did I know that it even existed."

Kagami gave a slight chuckle that Jayden found infectious and returned himself. Just like her voice, it had a pleasant sound to it.

A weak gust of wind in the meantime had caused her long purple hair to slightly blow in the air. It had made her fringe fall across her face and hang in front of her eyes, which had also happened with Jayden's own bangs. Unlike her however, he brushed his away this time.

She had her one hand hold onto the strap of her satchel while the other freely swayed back and forth as she walked with confidence beside him. She was just about his height and he could make eye contact with her just by looking sideways. Even with her seifuku on, it was apparent that she had a slim, slender body, which moved with a certain poise.

Her gaze curiously looked at the stores on the streets around them. She made no effort to hide the soft smile she wore, clearly enjoying being outside during such a pleasant day.

Eventually they made their way through the narrow street that comprised most of the path between the school and the center of the city, which was where they were now. Konata led the group towards the opposite side of the subway station to where the manga store was. It was certainly colorful, with tons of books piled up in the window display alone.

"This place is almost as big as a library," Kagami commented and Jayden found himself nodding in agreement.

Konata had her face glued to the window as she inspected the covers intently with a concentrated stare. Jayden looked them over himself, searching for something that would intrigue him.

"Come on, let's go inside," Konata eventually urged the group.

They walked through the door, entering into a spacious room with a seemingly infinite amassment of manga books. In addition to the ones clustered along the aisles of the store, there were tons of shelves on the walls that had even more merchandise piled up. The group seemed to be the only customers inside, though Jayden could swear he heard a gasp close by and someone mumbling something about a "Legendary Girl A".

Konata seemed to be in a daze. She had started to deftly search through a whole aisle, rapidly opening books, spending a couple of seconds looking through the pages and then moving on to the next one just as quickly. She looked as if she had forgotten that the rest of her classmates were even there.

"I always get nervous in big places like this," Miyuki commented anxiously.

"This is quite the collection indeed," Jayden said, picking up a random book.

"From what I've seen, you can find a lot of reading material for any genre you can think of here," Kagami commented as her eyes curiously looked through the covers of the books, a finger of her hand on her chin.

"Have you found something interesting here yourself before?" Jayden casually asked her. He turned his head towards her to notice just the slightest hint of a blush on her face while she still kept her gaze on the covers.

"Well, I don't usually buy anything from here, but there've been some mangas that have caught my eye previously, yes... usually romance ones."

"Oh, well, I might have read some of those myself," Jayden replied, putting down the book that he was holding while rubbing his neck.

Their conversation was cut short by Konata's sudden cry of surprise.

"There's a new issue of _Master of the Dungeon_!"

"You don't say!" Jayden replied excitedly. He rushed to her side and saw that she was indeed telling the truth – she showed him the cover of the book she was holding. He had been eagerly waiting to see his favorite manga continued.

"Finally we might see whether Sanjuro escapes jail and takes his revenge on Admiral Akkaraju!" Konata nearly yelled at him.

"And what about Ryo Ishikawa? Will his plan to overthrow Makabe work? I sure hope it doesn't, I really like Makabe!"

They continued talking about the manga while on their way to the cash desk. It was soon discovered that they liked different characters from the story, but were both fans of the manga nevertheless.

Jayden heard Kagami's chuckle again – she was looking on with amusement while Tsukasa and Miyuki were both smiling meekly behind her. He knew he must have looked overly animated, but he couldn't contain his excitement for finding out how the story continued.

To say that the odd-looking shopkeeper was ecstatic that both Konata and Jayden bought a copy would have been a monumental understatement. Thankfully, Jayden had saved up a lot of pocket money and could afford the manga book.

On the way out of the shop, Jayden couldn't resist taking a sneak peek into the book now that he had bought it. Konata was basically reading through it already. However, he didn't fail to notice that the rest of the girls weren't directly behind them. Looking back, he saw that a couple of guys with photo cameras had surrounded them by the entrance of the shop, particularly Tsukasa.

"Can I take a picture?" one of them asked, and without waiting for a reply, his camera flashed anyway, followed by that of the other man. Tsukasa clearly looked uneasy already.

"You… you must have me confused with someone," she barely managed to say, but they didn't back down.

It was obvious that Tsukasa wanted them to stop, but wasn't able to say anything. Jayden looked sideways towards Konata, but she was buried in the manga book and didn't even notice that something else was going on. And if anything, the men continued intruding on Tsukasa even more with each second. She had her arms crossed over her chest and even tried using the satchel to hide herself as they approached closer.

Jayden had just thought of stepping in when Kagami suddenly appeared in front of her sister, obstructing her from the photographers' view and stretching her arms on either side of her protectively.

"What do you think you're doing? Stop that!" she yelled at them with vigor. There was a certain ferocity evident on her features as she said it.

"Just one more picture," one of the men said, trying to get around Kagami, his camera still positioned in Tsukasa's way.

"No! Can't you see that she doesn't want to be taken a picture of?" Kagami firmly refused, her eyes flickering with ire. "Leave her alone!"

The men finally yielded and put their cameras down. Kagami didn't move until they went about their way, which they eventually did. Once they were gone, Kagami looked back at her sister with a softened expression.

"The nerve of those people," she told her. "Are you alright?"

"Yes. Thank you, Sis," Tsukasa answered with palpable relief, though she was still obviously a bit shook up. Kagami gently squeezed her shoulder with sisterly affection, a smile on her face as she did so.

"Always the vicious firebreather, eh, Kagami?" Konata said, apparently having noticed the scene herself.

"Not now, Konata," Kagami turned her head to face her friend as she answered in a sigh.

"Those guys were seriously overstepping their bounds," Jayden spoke while giving Tsukasa a reassuring glance. He looked at the sister that had protected her and told her, "Good job on telling them off, Kagami."

"Thank you," Kagami replied after a moment. Her eyes had made contact with his and the smile that had begun fading after Konata's comment started returning to her face once again.

"How about we head off to the station now before any more creepy stalkers show up?" Konata said to the group, but she had already opened the manga book again and had her eyes fixed on the illustrations.

Jayden was about to nod in approval when he noticed another location of interest right in front of them – an enticing sweet shop not unlike the one that he had visited in his own neighborhood.

"Would you mind if we make just one more stop?" he turned around and gave an almost pleading look to the girls.

* * *

Kagami didn't want to lie – she wanted to go inside the sweet shop that caught Jayden's eye as much as he probably did. Konata would inevitably give her a hard time like she always did, but in the end it would all be worth it. She'd finally go home to enjoy the sweets that she had bought for herself without Konata around.

Just like the manga store, the entrance to the shop was rather colorful as well – the front of it was comprised of all sorts of different pockies with various flavors, tempting anyone passing by to enter and buy as many of them as they possibly could. In Jayden's case, it seemed to work wonders as he almost sprinted towards the door of the shop. Kagami found herself being the one to directly follow.

"Don't tell me we've got another sweet tooth in our midst," she could hear Konata's exasperated voice as the girl trailed behind them.

Jayden seemed to have heard that as well, for he was chuckling when Kagami eventually entered the little shop and went to his side.

"Are you a sweet tooth as well?" Jayden asked her with a grin when she approached.

"Well… you could say that," Kagami replied. She had her hand twirl one of the strands of her hair subconsciously, feeling color rise in her cheeks.

"Don't worry," he told her, "I am like that myself. I can't resist good chocolate."

Kagami felt a smile pull at her lips when she noticed how excited Jayden was, his shimmering green eyes doing a thorough inspection of the sweets around them. People had told her that this was how she herself looked whenever she was surrounded by chocolate products.

There were a few other people in the store that they needed to find their way around, but eventually Kagami stumbled upon her favorite box of chocolate pockies. She reached out and picked it up, something which didn't go by unnoticed by Jayden.

"I've tried pocky sticks before, but they just aren't enough to satisfy me," he told her while he rummaged through a shelf full of candy bars.

"I've always loved pocky, especially the pure chocolate ones," Kagami spoke, trying not to think too much of the taste, for she could rip the box open before she even bought it. "I eat it very slowly, that's how I savor the taste as much as I can."

"I can't do that. Once I start to eat something as delicious as chocolate, I can't stop and I end up devouring my food."

"But then you wouldn't be able to enjoy it for long," Kagami replied. Jayden looked conflicted as to what he wanted to get from the store. He eventually turned to face her.

"Yeah, I know, but I just can't do it. I don't have the willpower."

"Hey, guys!" Konata's voice could be heard from the other side of the store. Both Jayden and Kagami looked at the direction of where it came from. "Look no further – I found what you both want!"

There was a gargantuan rectangular box on the wall next to Konata. The cover showed a huge chocolate castle made of tons of variously shaped sweets in different flavors. Whoever bought this would need a team of muscular men to help transport it.

Kagami furrowed her eyebrows at Konata's teasing. "As if you won't buy a video game collection that big yourself."

"At least I won't be eating it," Konata replied snidely.

"Come on, Konata. Don't make me remind you just how stuporous you were in that manga shop," Jayden retorted with visible amusement, which led to an annoyed frown on Konata's part. She sighed in defeat as she proceeded to simply browse through the shop herself, as did Tsukasa and Miyuki. A smile crept up on Kagami's face, one that she saw Jayden was wearing himself as they shared a subtle victorious glance between themselves.

In the end, Kagami decided to stick with the pocky box she wanted to get, while Jayden had finally concluded that he was in the mood for chocolate chip cookies and bought a couple of bags.

It felt nice, for once, that Kagami wasn't the only one who was into chocolate as much. Jayden seemed to understand the feeling of being a sweet tooth and shared it himself. He didn't let any of Konata's teasing get to him, and Kagami found it even easier to do that herself with him around.

Eventually, the group left the store and headed towards the subway station.

* * *

"Alright, Jayden, you better show up today at the server, or else…" Konata continued her incessant pestering.

"Or else what?" Jayden asked her with an amused, challenging eye.

"Let's just say you won't have any means of staying dry in the rain anymore," Konata replied, to which Jayden scoffed.

"Konata, I can find an umbrella for 250 yen just around the corner of my street if you don't decide to return mine."

"Fair enough," Konata said in a sigh just when the doors of the subway car opened and she began to leave. She didn't disappear without adding, "You know it will just be a replacement, though."

Kagami had to chuckle at Konata's idea of extortion and skill in bargaining. She had gotten used to it by now, but it was all new to Jayden. However, he did not seem to mind it – he looked amused rather than irritated. The fact that he wanted to play that game with her as well probably helped.

They were on their way home, and the subway had just reached the stop where Konata usually left at to catch another underground train for her house in Satte-shi. Miyuki, on the other hand, had already left for the Tokyo Metropolitan Area in the opposite direction.

Kagami was sitting on one of the benches with Tsukasa on her left side and Jayden on her right. Along with the satchels that each had on their laps, there were also a couple of bags that contained what each of them had bought from the stores they had shopped at.

"So you live in Kuki-shi, too?" Kagami eventually asked Jayden, tilting her head in his direction to look at him.

"Yeah, actually two stops after yours if I remember correctly," he replied after a moment of thought.

"Is that over the river?" Tsukasa joined in.

"It is. I still haven't been to the Takanomiya Shrine, though. I hear that is where festivals take place in the area."

"We live right next to it. We're shrine maidens there, actually," Kagami said.

"Really? That sounds like an honorable position." It was obvious that Jayden hadn't heard of the term before; the look on his face spoke of confusion.

"It's not a big deal. We just generally assist with various shrine functions. Mostly we work on _omikuji_ fortune telling."

"You're fortune tellers?" Jayden asked with surprise, brushing the bangs away from his face.

"Not really, no," Kagami shook her head. "We help with setting up the strips of paper that have the various fortunes written out on them for people to pick during festivals."

"It's very exciting when we actually get to pick some ourselves," Tsukasa added.

"Ah, I see. I might just try my luck with those things," Jayden replied. "Fortune telling seems to be a popular custom here."

"You don't have anything like that in America?" Kagami asked curiously.

"Not to this extent. We have it, but it's not ingrained in our culture like it seems to be in here."

"I don't place much importance on fortunes, but it's still a fun thing to do when the time for a festival comes," Kagami spoke, happily reminiscing the many times in the past where she and her family and friends have participated in such holiday activities.

"I'm very intrigued to see what it would be like," Jayden said with a hopeful expression on his face. Kagami could tell that he was looking forward to something like this. It felt nice seeing that he seemed genuinely interested in their customs and way of life and did not dismiss it like other foreigners could have done.

The announcer's voice soon informed the passengers that the subway had reached the Takanomiya Shrine stop. Kagami looked at Jayden as she put the satchel over her shoulder and grabbed the bag containing the pocky box that she had bought.

"This is our stop," she told him, already standing up to head towards the doors that would soon open. Tsukasa got up herself right after Kagami did.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow at school," Jayden said to the girls.

"Goodbye, Jayden-san," Tsukasa replied kindly him.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Jayden," Kagami spoke as she smiled earnestly at her classmate.

"Same here, Kagami," Jayden returned the smile. He pointed towards the pocky box that she was holding and said, "Enjoy those."

"I'll make sure I do," she replied mirthfully. "Same goes for you."

* * *

After spending some time simply resting at home and talking to his mother about his impressions of school and the people he had met there, Jayden headed towards the computer in his room to finally play _Surface Breach_. It was something he had been waiting to do for some time and now he could allow himself to enjoy it, for he already had a head start as far as studying for classes was concerned.

Chatting with Konata, however, turned out to be something of a challenge. Not only did she constantly spam unique smileys that Jayden had trouble understanding, but she often used abbreviations that he hadn't seen before, even ones for smaller words. He initially couldn't say whether it was a Japanese thing or a Konata thing, but he assumed that it was the latter. His suspicions turned out to be correct when both of them entered the same server, a Japanese one that he hadn't been to before, and he saw the way other players chatted there. He found it easier to communicate with them rather than doing so with Konata.

He was quick to get used to it though. Jayden was already having fun playing the game with her. It wasn't easy, for some of her derogatory comments to other players in their party may have prompted one or two of them to leave in the middle of a dungeon.

It was a surprise seeing Ms. Kuroi's friendship request come up on the screen. Thankfully, Konata was there to clarify that it was indeed the teacher who was now playing with them. Even though Ms. Kuroi sent her fair share of insinuations regarding their upcoming history exam, she was fun to hang out with in the server. The initial awkwardness that Jayden felt when she joined them soon disappeared.

A good, satisfactory raid which gave each of them plenty of decent loot had its way of whetting Jayden's appetite. He opened one of the bags with chocolate chip cookies that he had bought before. While slouching on the chair he was still sitting on, Jayden gave what Kagami had suggested a shot – eating the cookies more slowly so that he'd enjoy them for longer, but once again, his efforts proved to be in vain. The bag was already dangerously close to becoming as light as a feather, and at least he managed to stop himself and save some more for later.

Shortly thereafter he went on to continue playing the game with Konata. For that day, he had saved himself the trouble of worrying for both the essay he had to do and the exam he had to prepare for. So, without much in the way of hesitation, he joined Konata's party again on his way to conquer yet another dungeon.


	3. 13th of April, 2013

**Someone Else**

**Chapter 3: 13****th**** of April, 2013**

The mellow sound of electronica softly played from Jayden's earplugs as he made his way to school. He had finally decided to bring his MP3 player with him, for the road to Ryōō was long and he wanted to have something to help pass the time, and listening to some of his favorite music worked wonders. He had been hesitant to use it the first few days until he was sure he remembered the way well enough not to get lost. The station he was supposed to get off was now something he easily recognized and he did not need the announcer's voice in the car to remind him that it was his stop.

It had been an interesting first week of school so far, and he found himself enjoying both the classes and hanging out with the girls he had met. At the same time he did look forward to a day to simply rest, for it was already Saturday, the last day that students had to go to school in Ryōō. He knew he would probably spend time studying for the upcoming test tomorrow though, since Monday was just around the corner and that was when his knowledge of Japan's Muromachi era was going to be tested.

Jayden turned off his MP3 player and took the earplugs out of his ears just before he entered his classroom, putting them back in the front pocket of his satchel.

He was on time and thankfully the teacher hadn't arrived in the classroom yet. Jayden noticed that the girls were already there, gathered around Miyuki's desk, the second one in the middle row. Konata stood beside her with a frown on her face and had her arms folded. Tsukasa was standing on the other side but she was with her back to Jayden, so he could not see her expression. Kagami was also there, probably killing time until her own class started. She had one of her arms on her waist and listened intently to what Miyuki was saying, curiosity evident in her eyes.

"Hey guys," Jayden said as he approached the girls. Tsukasa turned around and greeted him with a cheerful countenance, as did Miyuki. Konata still looked bitter while Kagami gave Jayden a soft smile and slightly tilted her head in his direction.

"Hey Jayden," she spoke, pronouncing his name with a noticeable accent that was somehow uniquely hers.

"What's going on?" he asked the girls as he stood between the two Hiiragi sisters.

"We were just discussing the history exam," Miyuki answered anxiously. "We are all a bit nervous about it."

"Oh, right," Jayden replied with a nod and a sigh. "Well, I managed to do all the required homework for next week, but I've yet to study for the exam."

"I am the same," Tsukasa told him with a nervous smile. She lifted her arm and started rubbing the back of her neck with her hand while she closed her eyes. "Sis helped me focus when we did our homework together, but memorizing years and events that I have to remember for the exam is something I just can't seem to do."

"I'm not great at that either," Jayden replied assuringly. "I tend to write dates on a separate piece of paper chronologically and go through them one by one. It helps me memorize them."

"And you write out a few words next to them summarizing the events too," Kagami added as she looked at Jayden, gesturing her hand towards him, "And it's also easier to remember what happens between those events that way."

"Yeah, exactly," Jayden nodded approvingly. "You just have to find them in your notes and copy them elsewhere."

"I always miss dates during history classes," Tsukasa continued worriedly, "I get nervous trying to follow what that the teacher says and write it down, and I sometimes miss important things."

"You should try to be more systematic, Tsukasa," Kagami told her sister with a calm smile. "You write out every single sentence Ms. Kuroi says and that's why you get dates confused. If you stick to just focusing on key words of her lecture it will be a lot easier."

"Yes, that's what I always do – key words only," Konata joined in.

"The title of the lesson is not the only key word, Konata," Kagami told her friend with a grin. Jayden couldn't help but laugh, causing the girl to look back for a second and smile at him.

"Now, now, Kagami, don't criticize my learning approach. Each of us have our own different methods of studying," Konata replied, closing her eyes and raising her index finger in the air knowingly.

"Yes, I'm sure you're right. The results will speak for themselves," Kagami retorted, keeping the teasing grin on her face, a playful twinkle in her eyes. Konata's complacent expression did not waver, however. She looked as if she was taking that as a compliment.

"Regardless of methods, I don't find it easy just sitting down to study sometimes, especially when there are other things I could be doing," Jayden said. Kagami turned to face him again.

"We were thinking of going to the school library later today to study together for a while. If you want, and if it's not a problem with everyone, you can come with us," she told him, brushing one of her pigtails back while looking at him curiously.

"Oh, that would be great. I'm down for that," Jayden replied enthusiastically.

"Hopefully I can read your handwriting," Konata said smugly as she brushed her hands together. She turned her gaze to Kagami as she added, "Since some other people have persistently refused to help me these days."

"I'll never turn you away if you actually needed my help with studying, Konata," Kagami told her friend seriously. "But don't expect me to hand you my notes every single time without you even trying."

"She's right. Asking for help is never a problem, but if you don't at least try to pull your own weight, then how would you learn to do this by yourself?" Jayden added, to which Konata sighed with palpable annoyance.

Their conversation was cut short by the math teacher who had just entered the classroom. The podgy man's ever so frightening strict gaze silenced everybody almost instantly. Kagami rushed towards the door to head to her own class. She did not disappear before waving her hand towards Jayden and the girls. Jayden sprinted towards his seat near the back of the window row as well, not having brought out his books or opened his satchel yet. He sighed as he prepared himself mentally and physically to write a countless amount of numbers and equations for the next few hours.

* * *

It turned out that the school library was located in the western ring of the building, which was where Jayden and the girls had to go to. Kagami had rejoined the group during lunch, bringing her satchel along with her. It wasn't long before they started heading towards the library, moving past the other students in the crowded corridors and walking down the staircase to the first floor.

When they eventually reached their destination by going through most of the western wing, Jayden was surprised to see just how expansive the library was. While the others were already familiar with it, he hadn't been there before himself. Large walls of bookcases separated the room in four different sections. There were a lot of tables and chairs around, particularly near the corners of those sections.

They certainly weren't the only ones there – Jayden noticed a lot of other students holding a study session themselves while the rest browsed through the bookcases. The library in his old school in Portland had been much smaller than this one. Whenever he and his friends had decided to study together there, they had to meet away from the school itself to get the privacy they needed.

It was Kagami who led the way to one of the more isolated tables in the room, which was next to a big window with a view towards the school yard. Jayden and Konata sat down on one side of the table, Kagami and Tsukasa on the other. Miyuki was seated on the chair in the middle.

"Alright, let's get this done quickly. I have plans," Konata said in a weary sigh, slowly opening her notebook in front of her with visible pain. "Jayden knows that the guild and I are scheduled to go to an assault in the Chasm of Inscrutable Depths and defeat Kalahira later today."

"We'll try to accommodate your busy schedule," Jayden told her teasingly.

"How about we start with…" Kagami began, slowly flipping through the pages of her notebook, her mouth slightly open in concentration as she did so. "The fall of the Kamakura shogunate?"

"Sounds good," Jayden replied, searching for his own notes on the subject. "The first thing I've written down here is how the Hōjō Regency was established."

"Ms. Kuroi has given us a lot of information about that, but has she ever mentioned the year?" Kagami retorted with confusion, furrowing her eyebrows as she stared at what she had written.

"She did, I have it here along with the list of people in the Hōjō clan," Jayden said, showing her his notebook and pointing towards it.

"Tsukasa must have missed it," Kagami spoke, looking sideways at her blushing sister. "I was still sick the first day and I had to get everything I have from what she had written."

"I had to get used to writing notes again after the vacation," Tsukasa said in a nervous chuckle.

"It's no problem," Kagami smiled at her assuringly. "It wasn't easy for me either." She looked towards Jayden and asked, "May I see your notes for a second?"

"Of course," Jayden was quick to reply, already picking up his notebook in order to hand it to her.

"Wait!" Konata exclaimed beside him. He looked at her inquisitively and noticed that she had just been copying the entire first page of the lecture from him. She was still hastily writing it out.

"Just for a second, Konata," Jayden asked of her. She conceded with a sigh, letting him give his notebook to her friend.

Unlike Konata, Kagami carefully read what was written out in the page before writing anything down herself. She had put her pen in her mouth as she inspected the notes with curiosity, her eyes completely focused on the paper. Jayden was beginning to worry that his handwriting was unintelligible, which might have explained why Kagami was so concentrated on trying to decipher it.

"Is my writing that bad?" Jayden asked, rubbing the back of his neck anxiously.

"What? Oh, no!" Kagami was quick to reply, looking at her classmate with a nervous smile. There was a slight blush on her face as she added, "This is interesting material I hadn't read before, and I guess I got a bit carried away."

She quickly proceeded to write out whatever she had missed.

"Ah, Kagami. Look at her being so cute and absent-minded," Konata loudly commented to Jayden with mock disapproval.

"Who are you calling absent-minded?" Kagami looked up to Konata for a second to retort.

"Funny, you left out 'cute'," Konata continued teasing her. Kagami's blush was even more noticeable now as she continued scribbling down the notes with haste. Jayden felt a grin pull at his lips from the amusing situation and how flustered Kagami looked. It didn't last long, for she soon collected herself.

Eventually, Kagami returned his notebook to him, brushing away a lock of hair from her face as she did so.

"Thank you," she said to him with a soft smile that he returned back.

"It's no problem."

As they continued studying for the upcoming exam, the group used a reference history tome that Miyuki had found in the library to fill in the blanks between the notes that they had written down. They began revising the Kenmu Restoration, which Jayden and Kagami still managed to recall from the essay that they had to write before. Tsukasa and Miyuki managed to chime in from time to time as well, for they had done their homework as well and remembered some details about that part of Japanese history. Whenever Konata was not copying notes from Jayden, she either led the conversation away from the topic at hand or played around with her pen. She did claim that she was listening to them intently, however.

"…and then Prince Morinaga was appointed to be the _seii taishogun_," Kagami continued retelling what she had remembered from that period, often gesticulating with her hands in the meantime. "That did not go well with the shogun, however, because he thought that the military class had the right to rule. The clan he descended from was clan… uh…" Kagami stumbled upon her words, her gaze looking somewhere upwards as she tried to remember the name of the shogun's clan, her lips slightly parted in her attempt to focus.

"Oh, Kagami. Just write it down somewhere on your arm if you can't memorize the name," Konata suddenly drawled out.

"Konata!" Kagami exclaimed in irritation, shifting her stare to the blue-haired girl. "I can't memorize anything if you continue distracting me like this."

"Just giving a suggestion," Konata replied as she shrugged nonchalantly.

"Let's help each other concentrate, alright?" Jayden firmly said to Konata. "Neither Kagami nor anyone else can remember the material with interruptions like this."

"We only have a few more minutes to stay here as well," Miyuki informed the group.

"But we're about halfway through," Tsukasa added nervously.

"There'll still be time to study when we all of us get home," Jayden reminded Tsukasa with reassurance. "And don't forget that we have one more day to revise everything, too."

"I know, but it's easier for me to get myself to study here," Tsukasa replied with a blush. "I often become distracted at home where there's so much to do."

"We'll revise everything together tomorrow if you want," Kagami told her. "We can test each other with questions. I know that it's more fun for you this way."

"Oh, that would be great, Sis!" Tsukasa smiled happily at her sister, a gesture that Kagami returned herself.

"Okay, we can end with the rise of the Ashikaga brothers for now if you guys want. There's only a little left," Jayden suggested, looking through his notebook and what remained to be covered.

With that, the group quickly finished up with that part of the material, comparing and checking each other's notes. Jayden then picked up where Kagami had left off and retold what was left of the Kenmu Restoration and what they had to remember for the test.

While they went off-topic a number of times, the study session was certainly helpful to Jayden. Studying that on his own would have been more difficult otherwise. He closed his notebook and put it inside his satchel like all the others did and with a sigh, he put it over his shoulder and started heading out from the library along with the group.

* * *

Kagami looked through the window of the subway during one of the few moments on the way home where it surfaced to the ground. She noticed that dark clouds had started forming up in the air. She turned her head back to Jayden, who was standing next to her and Tsukasa on her other side – they hadn't managed to find themselves a seat this time.

"Konata returned the umbrella to you, right?" Kagami asked Jayden with concern.

"Yeah, she did a couple of days ago," Jayden answered. He brushed the bangs away from his face before added, "Finally playing the game with her must have worked, though I had to remind her again to give it to me afterwards."

"I'm still surprised that she returned it to you this early," Kagami said to him. "I always have to make sure that I won't need my notes for at least a week before I even consider giving them to her."

"I'll keep that in mind," Jayden replied in a chuckle. The sound of his laugh put a smile on her face.

"Does she still play that game with you?" Tsukasa asked.

"Yeah, we've played a couple of times already and it's been fun. She still gives me a hard time sometimes about not being in the server as often as her though, and she probably will do so tomorrow, too."

"She's been a good friend to me for a long time now, but study sessions with her have always been a bit… problematic," Kagami said earnestly with a sigh.

"It's not too bad, but yeah, we still could have covered more material today," Jayden replied.

Kagami nodded along. Her fingers subconsciously tapped on the railing she was holding onto. She had remembered something that she had been thinking about after the group had finished studying together in school.

"Miyuki and I often check homework answers or revise material together over the phone," she said while firmly keeping her gaze on his. "If you want, we could do that later today and finish up with the rest of the Muromachi era."

"Oh, that's an idea. Yes, I'd like that," Jayden answered after a moment with approval. She smiled at him, feeling an odd sense of relief at his answer.

"Let me give you our phone number then," she said, already leaning her back on the railing while fumbling around with the clasps of her satchel to find her pen and some paper.

"Oh, don't worry about it, I can write it down here somewhere," Jayden spoke, starting to search through his bag.

"I already have mine," Kagami was quick to reply.

She hastily cut off a part of the last page of her notebook and wrote down the number with the pen that she had also found. Once she checked that the number was correct a couple of times, she handed it to him and quickly grabbed hold of a nearby railing, for the subway was heading underground again.

"Alright, then I'll give you a call today," Jayden said, placing the paper in one of the pockets in his bag. He added, "Konata will probably want me to join her in the game, but I feel like she's going to have to wait a bit."

"At least she has Ms. Kuroi to keep her company, though from what I hear, when there's a test coming, she won't let Konata forget about it," Kagami replied with amusement.

"I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of that," Jayden shook his head.

The subway soon came to a halt, and Kagami recognized the familiar walls of the Takanomiya Shrine stop before the announcer chimed in. She looked at Jayden and smiled at him.

"I'll be waiting for your call then," she told him.

"Goodbye, Jayden-san," she could hear Tsukasa's voice behind her.

"I'll be seeing you back in school," Jayden replied to the girls who were already walking out of the subway. Before heading further, Kagami looked back to see Jayden nodding her way until the car doors closed down and the underground train continued on its regular route.

* * *

Kagami finally sat down on the couch in the hall after preparing everything she needed to continue studying for the exam, still looking over what she had organized one last time.

Her notebook was neatly placed on the table, opened on the page she had reached during the study session in school. Next to it was the history book that she would use for reference, which was full of information about the entire material taught in all three years of high school. She had also prepared a few separate pieces of paper beside it, ready to be filled out with a chronological sequence of dates and events.

Once that was accounted for, Kagami had also brought a pocky box from which she was now slowly eating in anticipation. She decided to kill time by checking notes that she had written earlier in the day, which she thought would make revising on Sunday an even easier task for her and Tsukasa. She couldn't check her notes together with her sister at that very moment, for she had gone to take a nap in her room in the meantime.

She was ready to begin with the new material, but she didn't want to do so until Jayden called. From the short time that she had known him, she had noticed that when it came to studying, he was responsible about it, even if he sometimes complained about just how much work needed to be done. What was also interesting to her was the fact that he seemed intrigued to learn more about Japan's history just as well its contemporary customs – behind his occasional questions about life in Japan there was genuine curiosity. Having one more person to study with, one who also managed to contribute this much in the process, felt refreshing.

To her surprise, he called her pretty soon after she had sat down in the hall – she expected that she would wait a bit more than she did, but the corded phone right next to the couch, on the small cabinet, was already ringing. Kagami quickly finished up with the pocky stick she had in her mouth, swallowing it and clearing her throat just before picking up the receiver.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's me – Jayden," she could clearly hear the voice of her American classmate on the other end.

"Oh, hey. I was just wondering when you'd call," she replied.

"I would have called earlier but my sister Kaiya was telling me some stories from her school," Jayden answered. "She is excited because she seems to have finally found friends there."

"That's great, Jayden. She was three years younger than you, right? How is she adapting to the change?" Kagami inquired curiously.

"Well enough, I suppose. She is in her second year of junior high school. The first days were harder for her than they were for me, but she seems to be getting used to it already."

"You seem to be doing very well, though," Kagami said, slightly gesticulating with her hands even though Jayden couldn't see it. "If I were to move to America, I think I would be overwhelmed."

"I don't know. I think you will manage," Jayden replied confidently after a moment. "For me, I guess, having Japanese ancestry and knowing the language helps a lot."

"If I didn't know any better, I would have said that you're a native speaker, Jayden. I wish my English was as good as yours."

"From what I hear, you tend to score highly in your English classes. You're probably better at it than you think you are," Jayden said, his words causing a smile to appear on Kagami's face.

"It's still not the same. Pronouncing the words is very difficult for me, you couldn't say I'm a native speaker."

"Maybe some day I could help you with that, if you want," he suggested.

"Oh, I don't know. I wouldn't want to take up your time with this. And it will probably be boring for you," Kagami replied, one of her fingers subconsciously drawing a circle on the couch pillow.

"No, it won't be," he answered firmly. "They're making me attend and do homework in English classes even though it is my mother tongue. It would honestly be much more fun if we do it together and I could help you pronounce the words better, too."

"If you really think so, I thank you for offering your help, Jayden," Kagami said with a heartfelt smile. "We'll see how it goes, though. First things first."

"I almost forgot," Jayden replied in an infectious chuckle. She could hear him going through the pages of his book over the phone. She rested the receiver on her shoulder and took hold of her pen, ready to continue revising the Muromachi era with him.


	4. 17th of April, 2013

**Someone Else**

**Chapter 4: 17****th**** of April, 2013**

As Jayden walked through the corridors of Ryōō High School in the Wednesday morning of his second week in school, he was able to pick up a lot of excited and sometimes rueful chatter regarding the recent history exam. It wasn't until the moment he took out his earplugs when he understood why students wore either deep frowns or surprised smiles on their faces – the results of the test were finally out.

Moving through the school building, Jayden kept a watchful gaze as to where the results were published. There were so many paper sheets glued to the walls that were difficult to distinguish from afar – announcements for tournaments, class schedules, elective course offers, but no test results.

Only when he got to the classrooms that second-years used did he see that there were new notes on the doors themselves that students had gathered around. Jayden felt agitated as he headed towards the door of Class 3-B, eagerly expecting to see what his grade was. Even from a good distance away, he could make out the figures of Miyuki and Tsukasa being one of the few that had amassed near the door of the classroom.

"Hey," he said to them when he eventually got close enough. The two girls turned around to look at him.

"Good morning, Jayden-san," Miyuki replied, offering him her usual honest smile.

"These are our grades from the test, right? How did you score?" Jayden inquired the girls curiously.

"I have an 'Exemplary' grade," Miyuki answered happily. She added as she looked at her friend beside her, "Tsukasa-san has scored with 'Good'."

"That's a decent grade. The test was quite difficult," Jayden told Tsukasa with a reassuring look.

"I guess that is better than 'Satisfactory', which is my usual grade when it comes to history exams," Tsukasa replied with a nervous smile. Jayden could say that she had hoped for more, though.

"How much do I have?" he then asked, more or less to himself, as he began inspecting the results sheet looking for his name.

"I believe you have 'Very Good'," Miyuki answered for him just before he saw it written out on the paper.

"Not bad," Jayden nodded, feeling satisfied. Spending enough time checking notes and holding a study session with the girls and then with Kagami had paid off – it was not the highest grade possible, but it was still a good result. As far as he had understood, 'Exemplary' grades were very difficult to obtain, and Miyuki was usually among the very few who managed to achieve that regularly.

"What about Kagami? And Konata?" he asked the girls.

"Konata has a 'Very Good' grade herself, I think," Miyuki replied with scrunched eyebrows, looking for her friend's name to confirm.

"Really?" Jayden asked in disbelief. "She was always online whenever I was on my computer, even the few times I signed in during the weekend. How did she find time to study, too?"

"Sis scored that much as well," Tsukasa added with a smile.

"That's good to hear," Jayden said with another nod, returning Tsukasa's smile. "She worked hard for it."

"She looked very happy when she told me, but she didn't have much time to talk before the math teacher arrived," Tsukasa explained.

"Ouch. He likes to begin classes early, doesn't he?" Jayden replied, looking with sympathy at the closed door of Kagami's class.

Glancing over the remainder of the list, Jayden noticed that the most common grades in the class were 'Good' and 'Satisfactory', even with a few 'Fails'. He doubted that Ms. Kuroi was going to be too happy with the overall result of the class, especially since she said that she expected a lot from her students this year.

Jayden was startled to hear Konata's drowsy voice beside him – she had apparently just arrived there, and from the weary look on her face and slightly dishevelled hair, she hadn't had enough sleep.

"How much did I score?" she immediately asked.

"'Very Good', it seems like," Jayden informed her, eyeing her up suspiciously. The girl did not look surprised.

"As expected," she said with a tired smile. "My studying method works wonders, as you can see."

"And what _is _your studying method?" Jayden asked, intrigued to hear the answer.

"A master never tells his secrets," Konata told him as she started heading into their classroom already, the others following her as she did so. This was probably the best Jayden could get out of her.

"Why do you look so tired, Kona-chan?" Tsukasa asked her friend inquisitively.

"There was a marathon of my favorite anime on TV last night," Konata replied, heavily sitting down on the chair next to her desk. She added, "Missing out on it was not an option."

"I thought you continued playing _Surface Breach_ after I left," Jayden said.

"Oh, I did. The marathon was a couple of hours later."

"Boy, you sure stayed up late yesterday," Jayden spoke with amusement. Alongside him, Miyuki and Tsukasa had gathered around Konata's desk as well.

"I may have trouble staying awake during Ms. Kuroi's classes, but at least I scored high on her test, so I doubt she would mind it too much," Konata said with a smirk, her eyelids lazily trying to stay open.

Jayden was about to reply when he noticed that Konata's eyes suddenly widened in the direction of the door.

"Speak of the devil," Konata said to the group amusedly.

Mr. Kuroi had just entered the room, and like Jayden suspected, she was not in her best mood.

"Morning, students," she said, though not in her usual joyful tone. The stern look in her eyes and the sigh she let out as she sat down on her desk spoke of disappointment.

Despite having a 'Very Good' grade for the exam, Jayden figured that it would be for the best if he quickly headed to his seat and got prepared for class, which was what he went about doing.

* * *

"…and this concludes the lesson about the rise and fall of Oda Nobunaga, as we are running out of time," Ms. Kuroi said, putting down the chalk on her desk after using it to write a couple of dates on the black board.

Jayden could see how her gaze scanned the students in her class, some of which had already started gathering their books. She sighed as she put both of her hands on either side of her desk.

"Students, make sure you perform better in the next test we'll be doing in May," she told them firmly, but not harshly. "Most grades were below the level I was expecting, and I don't like seeing that. If you don't start making more effort, then you wouldn't have as much of a chance in the future."

The times where Ms. Kuroi was this serious in front of her students were few, but this was one of them, and most of the class understood that as they seemed to listen to her intently.

"Take some time to think about what you really want, and work to achieve that. Decide which elective courses you want to take part in – you can do so whenever you want, but the earlier you decide, the better. You would have a bigger grasp of your chosen subject the more time you've spent attending it."

With that, Ms. Kuroi grabbed her bag and took the history tome under her shoulder. She gave the class a smile as she started heading towards the door and said her farewell.

Jayden stayed in his seat for a moment, contemplating what Ms. Kuroi had said. He had his aspirations, but he still hadn't made a concrete decision as to what his goals for the future were. It wasn't as if he had never thought about it, but the teacher had a point – it would be for the best if he made his decision as early as he could, and maybe choose one of those courses that the school offered.

He eventually stood up and went towards Konata's desk, which was already surrounded by Tsukasa and Miyuki. Konata looked more energetic than she had been before the classes had started – she was talking briskly to the girls, having gotten up from her seat.

"Ah, Jayden," she said to him excitedly when he approached the group. "I was just saying to Miyuki and Tsukasa about my job at the costume café."

"You got a job at a costume café?" Jayden asked curiously, not hiding the surprise on his face.

"Why yes," Konata replied to him, closing her eyes and raising her finger in the air. "Ms. Kuroi glanced at me when she said we should start thinking about our future, but I have already made my first step towards success. I start working at that costume café next week."

"That sounds great, Konata, but I am still not sure what a costume café is," Jayden said, feeling a bit confused.

"It is essentially a cosplay café where the whole staff dresses up as fictional characters," Miyuki answered for him.

"Oh, I see – that actually sounds very intriguing. I don't doubt it would be exciting for you, Konata, and I'd like to visit it when you start working there," Jayden told Konata with interest.

"Then you shall be invited once the Admiral deems it possible for you to venture into our sanctuary," Konata told him with a deep voice and a dramatic bow, obviously pretending to be Ryo Ishikawa from _Master of the Dungeon_. He chuckled at her amusing interpretation, causing her to smile excitedly at him. Tsukasa and Miyuki looked bewildered, but explaining to them who that character was would have taken up too much time.

Jayden looked up to see that Kagami had just entered their room, waving her hand and smiling at them as she approached, a mirthful expression on her face.

"Hey," she told them joyfully, now having joined them beside Konata's desk.

"Hey, Kagami," Jayden said, his greeting probably deafened amid those of her friends.

"You look strangely happy for somebody who's just had math classes with Mr. Shinu," Konata observed.

"It wasn't too bad this time," Kagami answered. "I guess I'm just glad that I got a good mark at the history exam."

"Yes, only a few of the class apart from us have managed to get such good grades. Quite a disappointment," Konata replied in a dramatic sigh as she shrugged. Jayden noticed how Kagami looked at Konata with suspicion, probably having seen her friend's grade beforehand.

"You scored pretty high, Konata," she simply stated. The surprise in Kagami's eyes while she looked at Konata was evident to Jayden, but after a moment she seemed to let it go. She turned to face him as she said, "I saw that you have a 'Very Good' mark, too."

"Yeah, I'm happy that I got that much. Even with all the studying, it wasn't a cakewalk," Jayden spoke to Kagami with a smile that she returned as she nodded. He added, "Though it is true that Ms. Kuroi seemed disappointed at the overall performance. She said she wanted us to work harder for the next tests and decide what we want to do in the future."

"I am slightly nervous about that," Tsukasa said anxiously. "I know about all the elective courses, but even when I've taken up liberal arts classes, I'm still not sure if that's what I want and I just can't set my mind on anything."

"That's understandable, Tsukasa," Kagami smiled reassuringly at her sister. "Our class hasn't had such a talk with her yet, but I'd imagine that we will. It's something that you have to think about sooner or later though, see what all your options are and how each of them can help you after you graduate."

"You speak as if you have given much thought about your own future, Kagami," Konata grinned at her knowingly. Kagami looked at her friend with incredulity, her eyebrows furrowed.

"What are you saying? I do think about my future," she firmly said with an earnest expression, her arms folded defensively in front of her chest.

"Is that why you chose to attend liberal arts classes as well, or because you wanted to be with everyone else?" Konata spoke with obvious amusement, putting her hand over her mouth as if she tried to stop herself from laughing. Kagami's eyes widened at Konata's response while her mouth had opened in shock.

"Tsukasa!" she exclaimed, staring at her sister with a hurtful look on her face that Jayden didn't fail to notice. He could see that Kagami was visibly fidgeting as she cried out to her with pain in her voice, "Why did you have to say that to her, of all people?"

"I'm sorry, Sis," Tsukasa replied meekly, turning her head away from her sister while the fingers of her hands were nervously tangling themselves together. Konata walked past Tsukasa as she approached Kagami, who shifted her pained gaze to the blue-haired girl.

"You should have said that you just hate being lonely, Kagami" Konata told her as she quickly and forcefully hugged her from behind while wearing a mocking grin on her face. She stood on her toes and lifted up her hand to stroke Kagami's hair in an obviously degrading and childish manner. Jayden looked at Kagami to see her distressed face as she struggled to break free, her whole body practically shaking from her futile attempts. Right next to Kagami, her sister shifted her weight from side to side with palpable anxiety as she looked down at the floor with remorse.

"Hey, cut it out already!" Jayden raised his voice in Konata's direction, feeling a tinge of anger at the girl. She frowned as she gave him a bewildered stare, but didn't let go. "You're hurting her! Stop it!"

Konata finally relinquished her grip upon hearing Jayden's words. She curiously followed his gaze on Kagami afterward to see her pained expression for a moment before she quickly turned back and walked through the door, breathing heavily as she did so. Everyone had their eyes follow Kagami until she disappeared from view – an awkward silence fell among the group. Jayden noticed that Tsukasa was obviously still unnerved, not making eye contact with anybody else yet.

"That was a little over the line," Jayden scolded Konata. She threw a quick glance at him, which was enough for him to see the perplexed expression on her face.

"I was only teasing, I didn't actually want to upset her," she said sincerely, awkwardly rubbing the back of her neck as she looked at the open door.

"You should have been more considerate of her feelings before you did that," Jayden firmly said, starting to head out of the room. "I'm going to check on her."

"I'll come with you, Jayden-san," Tsukasa told him with a nervous, but determined look in her eyes. He nodded at her as he continued walking, now with Tsukasa following him closely behind.

Due to the fact that it was breaktime, there were a lot of students going through the school corridors, and that made it more difficult to say where Kagami could have gone to. Jayden and Tsukasa briefly checked her classroom to see whether she had returned to her desk, but she wasn't there. They continued walking through the corridor in hopes that they'd stumble upon her somewhere.

It was on the mostly empty hallway to the headmaster's office on the third floor that they found Kagami in. She was looking through one of the windows with a wistful countenance, her thoughtful eyes lost somewhere in the distance.

"Hey, are you okay?" Jayden asked her as soon as he and Tsukasa were close enough for her to hear. She turned her head to look at them when they approached. Jayden could see how her eyes still somewhat flickered.

"I'm fine, I just… needed to get away," Kagami spoke, her voice still slightly strained.

"Konata didn't mean to upset you – she just doesn't know when to stop sometimes. What she did to you wasn't right, but I think she feels genuinely sorry," Jayden told her in reassurance. He put a hand on her shoulder and looked sincerely into her eyes in an attempt to comfort her.

"Sis, I shouldn't have told her that," Tsukasa joined in, walking next to Jayden closer to her. "I wanted her to stop, but I… couldn't say anything, I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Kagami told her sister. "I guess I just need more time to… deal with this."

Kagami's expression spoke of something that still very much disturbed her, but Jayden couldn't say what was unnerving her so much. He wanted to help her somehow, to comfort her, but the girl glanced at something behind them and sighed heavily.

"There's our English teacher. We better not be late for classes," Kagami said, though it was apparent that she wasn't in the mood for studying.

"I guess we'll meet up afterwards then," Jayden replied, to which Kagami nodded. She looked at him and Tsukasa and gave a weak smile, though it wasn't one that quite reached her eyes.

As soon as they began heading back to their classrooms, Jayden was surprised to see Konata walking towards them from the opposite direction. Her eyes were on Kagami as she approached.

"Hey, Kagami," she said seriously. There was a moment of awkward silence between the group until the girl finally uttered, "I guess I want to say I'm sorry. I didn't know that I'd upset you like this."

"Well, you did," Kagami told her, her eyes still showing hurt, though her voice wasn't harsh. "I appreciate you saying this, though."

Konata extended her hand in Kagami's direction.

"Water under the bridge?" she said, still holding out her arm. There was a pause before Kagami took it. She nodded Konata's way as a response, but Jayden noticed that she did not smile.

"Okay," Konata said in a sigh as Kagami let go of her hand and continued walking through the corridor. Konata looked surprised that she had upset Kagami that much, but she sounded sincere in her apology. After a moment, she looked at Tsukasa and Jayden, saying, "We better go back to our classroom. Mr. Shinu is already there."

* * *

With school lessons for the day done, the group was heading towards the subway station in the center of Kasukabe like usual. The spring weather was pleasant, the blue sky was clear and the air seemed warm. It was an enjoyable day to be outside.

Jayden listened to Konata's most recent tale in a game of _Surface Breach_ that she had played, one that she was excited to share with him.

"…and just like I wanted to, I finally got the rare axe I was telling you about yesterday. It took a rerun of the dungeon and I stayed until two o'clock at midnight, but I got it."

"Didn't you say that Ms. Kuroi was there in the server, as well?" he asked incredulously.

"She was, but she wanted a new staff, so she stayed up late as well and kept her comments about me not going to bed early enough to a minimum."

Konata then went about telling another story of her adventures in the game. Even though he tried to listen, Jayden couldn't help but notice Kagami's expression as she, Tsukasa and Miyuki walked beside them. The usual soft smile that she had on, one that he was used to seeing during pleasant weather such as this, was absent from her face. Her eyes were locked on the ground, and Jayden could tell that she was mulling things over in her head. Tsukasa herself seemed to occasionally throw troubled glances at her, but she wasn't saying anything to her.

The force of the wind caused a couple of Kagami's hair strands to brush against her face, but she made no effort to push them away until they finally fell down on their own. Jayden felt worried about Kagami – he did not like seeing her down like this. Something about the incident early on must have really gotten to her, and he wanted to understand what, and possibly help her on the way. He judged that he could not do that with Konata's presence, so he decided to wait until they parted ways with her to get through to Kagami.

For now, he would listen to Konata's tales of glory, and possibly share a few himself.

* * *

As she held onto a railing in the subway car she and her classmates were in, Kagami was able to hear the conversation between Jayden and Konata regarding the game, but not many of the words actually registered with her. Her mind was still swimming with thoughts, ones that were invoked by what had happened with Konata earlier in the day. She was able to gradually get over what her friend had done to her physically in front of the class, but it was what she had said that didn't give her any rest.

It was true that she had signed up for liberal arts classes so that she could be with her friends – she enjoyed being in their company and her friendship with them brightened her days. The thought of being away from them for so much had grown to be unsettling, and it had influenced her decision.

Was that how she went about her life – following her friends, afraid of being away from them, not thinking of a future for herself? Were all of her decisions guided by that desire to be around them? Did she even have a clear idea of what she wanted to achieve in life and what goals she wanted to pursue? Maybe she hadn't been thinking about her decisions as much as she had asserted.

"…alright, I'll see you on the server later then?" her friend's voice shook her out of her reverie.

"I can't promise anything, but I'll be online on the computer," Jayden replied.

"Fair enough," Konata said while the doors of the subway car opened up. "Bye, everyone," she uttered as she left at her usual stop. Kagami nodded her way while Tsukasa, who was standing right beside her, waved her hand for goodbye.

Kagami sighed upon Konata's departure. She did not hold a grudge against her, but it'd be a lie if she said that what her friend had done today didn't bother her.

A few minutes passed as she continued dwelling on what Konata had said until Jayden eventually spoke.

"Are you sure you're alright, Kagami?" he asked her. She glanced towards him to see his eyes watching her with evident concern. "You look down. You're still troubled by what happened," he observed.

Kagami hadn't intended on sharing what she was thinking with Jayden, but something in his earnest expression and his concern made her want to tell him what she was feeling at the moment.

"I guess I've been considering what Konata said… that I haven't been thinking about my future like I assumed I did."

"Is that what's been bothering you?" Jayden inquired. He still hadn't torn his gaze away from her.

"Mostly… yes," Kagami admitted.

"Just because you signed up for a class to be with your friends?" Jayden spoke. The tone in his voice was serious and confident. "Konata wasn't right in what she said, Kagami. Wanting to be with your friends is perfectly natural, but just because you feel that way doesn't mean that you're clueless about what you want."

"What she said was true, though. I did sign up for liberal arts classes because of that," Kagami told him.

"So what? That doesn't prove you don't think about your own future," Jayden firmly replied. "Some people go where the wind blows and aren't even aware of what their options are, but I know that you aren't like that."

"Jayden-san is right," Tsukasa joined in, causing Kagami to turn her head to face her. "If it wasn't for you to tell me about what the different elective courses were in school, I wouldn't have even known what I could choose from."

"And just choosing isn't enough either," Jayden added, nodding towards Tsukasa and then looking at Kagami again. "You have to work and study to accomplish something, and from what I've seen, you've always been responsible when it comes to that."

Somehow, what Jayden and her sister were saying to her was able to slowly quieten her musings on the matter. What she was dwelling about was one instance, and even if she got into liberal arts because of the fact that her friends were there, she managed to learn a lot about a subject that genuinely intrigued her.

"Maybe you're right," she said, feeling the weight on her shoulders become a bit lighter.

"Don't let what Konata said get to you, because it simply isn't true," Jayden told her, now with a caring smile on his face, one which she slowly felt that her lips were returning.

"Thank you," she sincerely spoke, his words and the conviction with which he said them already making her feel better. She brushed a hair strand away from her before she continued, "This is… a big deal for me, and I guess couldn't stop thinking about this after hearing what Konata said." She let out a sigh and then looked at Jayden again, "And I never really thanked you for stopping Konata back in school and standing up for me."

"It's no problem, Kagami. Somebody would have eventually."

Upon hearing this, a thought crossed Kagami's mind – she wondered whether she would have had to find a way to deal with the situation on her own if it wasn't for Jayden's intervention. She truly appreciated what he did, as she couldn't imagine a lot of people doing the same.

Tsukasa smiled at her too, now looking much more cheerful. Kagami took her sister's hand and gently squeezed it, making sure to let her know that she wasn't angry with her – she had no way of knowing that her telling Konata about this would have led to Kagami's predicament.

With Jayden and Tsukasa's help, Kagami managed to put any further thoughts of what had been bothering her at the back of her mind by simply talking to them about other things. However, it wasn't long before the subway reached their destination – Takanomiya Shrine.

Kagami looked at Jayden, who was preparing to say goodbye to them. Before he said anything, however, she thought of something that she wanted to suggest to him.

"You could come with us, Jayden," she said to him, pushing her bangs away from her right eye and then looking into his eyes. "You could walk us home – if you want to, I mean."

She could tell that he hadn't expected that by the surprise in his gaze, and there was a brief pause before he answered.

"Yeah, I'd like that," he replied, shifting his gaze sideways in thought.

"Our home is not far away from here – you could catch the subway from the station near the river for a stop," Kagami suggested, not realizing that she had just read his thoughts.

"That's just what I was wondering," Jayden smiled at her. "Well, if I won't intrude, then I'll walk you home."

"You won't be intruding, Jayden-san," Tsukasa earnestly told him with a smile of her own.

After moving through the crowds of people in the station, most of which were rushing to catch a train, the group finally got to the surface where they could actually hear each other – no noise or chatter to deafen their words.

The route to the Hiiragi household was faster when moving through the Takanomiya Shrine itself. Kagami remembered that Jayden had said he hadn't been there before – and it showed on his features as he regarded the location with apparent curiosity. Kagami chuckled at the sight of him inspecting the archway over them with a slightly open mouth.

"What?" he asked her with a confused smile.

"It's just that I see this place every day, and I don't even notice it anymore – and you look like you're in awe."

"I'm just doing some sightseeing," he chuckled himself, rubbing the back of his neck as he did so.

"I know. You just seem to have an… interesting way of doing that," she smiled as she teased him.

"You can't blame me, though – being here is rather intriguing. My father has described this place to me, but it's different when you actually see it in person."

"It's particularly exciting when there is a festival here," Tsukasa said mirthfully. "The whole atmosphere is different and there are a lot of things to do, and we get to wear yukatas."

"Even without a festival, it seems to be pretty active as it is," Jayden commented.

Kagami followed his gaze to the marketplace in the middle of the Takanomiya Shrine, which was clustered with kiosks selling a lot of traditional Japanese merchandise. There were several relics that could be seen on the other side of the courtyard, along with a few altars next to the walls of the shrine.

The rest of the route was basically heading through a tiny street that led to the house itself, which was situated about two minutes away from the shrine they had just gone through.

"What are you going to do when you get home?" Kagami asked Jayden inquisitively, now just a few meters away from the door to their household.

"I'm not sure, but I think I will be opening a box of sweets when I get there," Jayden told her with a grin. "This walk has been pretty appetizing."

"But we've only been walking for fifteen minutes," Tsukasa said with confusion.

"That's more than enough for me," Jayden replied.

"Now that you mention it, a pocky box doesn't sound like a bad idea," Kagami beamed at him.

They reached the entrance to the house. Kagami's gaze met Jayden's, who brushed the bangs away from his face, giving her a better view of his light green eyes.

"Thank you for walking us home," Kagami said to him.

"Oh, it was my pleasure," Jayden smiled at her sincerely. "You can reach me on the phone if you need to talk to me, but if not, we'll see each other at school tomorrow."

Kagami nodded, smiling back at him for a moment before turning to unlock the entrance to the household.

"Goodbye, Jayden-san," Tsukasa said in the meantime.

Once the door was opened, Kagami let her sister in first, waving at Jayden before heading in herself. Her eyes were locked on his until she closed the door, and it wasn't a moment after that when she heard his footsteps walking away.

* * *

After completing one last page of the math exercise book that she had to fill in for tomorrow, Kagami sighed with contentment. That was the last thing she had to do today, and now that she was done, she could let herself relax. She closed the book and took one more pocky stick out of the box that she had placed next to it on her desk. As she enjoyed the taste of chocolate, Kagami was reminded of Jayden's own intention of eating something sweet himself, and she couldn't help but wonder whether he had carried through with his plan.

She glanced towards the bed in her room, and suddenly felt weariness that had built up inside her over the course of the day. She could definitely use a nap, and now with no more lingering tasks that she had to do, she didn't have to worry about not having enough time afterward.

Kagami stood up from her chair and headed towards the bed, finishing up with the last stick of pocky in her mouth. She proceeded to lie down on her back, not feeling cold enough to cover herself with a blanket.

Her eyes stared at the ceiling as she lay, the silence in her room working on clearing her mind. She had not let herself dwell on what had happened today for a while, but her thoughts were able to drift in that direction once again. She could still remember the incident with Konata, but the memory was not as unsettling as it had been before. Whenever she started thinking of the implications of what Konata had said, she was able to recall Jayden's words to her, which brought with them the same comforting feeling she had felt when he had spoken them in the subway.

He had looked so confident in what he said – Kagami could still hear the sincerity in his voice and see the certainty in his eyes. There had been a similar conviction on Jayden's face when he stood up for her and made Konata finally stop – it wasn't something that Kagami had expected.

What had also surprised her was how understanding he had been with her when she revealed what had been troubling her – he had taken her seriously on what was a sensitive matter for her, and it was something that she genuinely appreciated. She found it easier taking her mind off the subject with him around, as well – and his presence on the way home had been helpful.

She hadn't imagined that she would be able to calm her head this early, but now Kagami found herself being able to let go of any lingering thoughts of what had happened with Konata. As she turned to the side, her eyes finally closing, she felt relief slowly wash over her, which put her at ease and let her drift to sleep.


	5. 1st of May, 2013

**Someone Else**

**Chapter 5: 1****st**** of May, 2013**

A crowd of people had amassed in the subway as it made its way towards the center of Kasukabe on the first day of May, and Jayden found himself sitting in one of the cars. What made him distance himself from the frantic activity around him were the soft, relaxing tunes playing from the MP3 player into his ear while he read the morning newspaper. It put him at ease and helped him forget the incoming wave of exams and homework assignments on various subjects which he had to prepare for soon – keeping up the pace with everything he had to do for school wasn't easy.

The last few days in school had been devoted to learning new material for most of the subjects, which had given Jayden more free time at home, some of which he had spent playing _Surface Breach_ with Konata and occasionally Ms. Kuroi as well. From the weekend onwards, however, he had at least several tests to study for, the amount of which had worried even Konata, who wasn't usually concerned when it came to preparation for school. Jayden had started working on some of his assignments already, but there was still a lot more to do.

His careful perusal of a newspaper article was interrupted when he noticed who had boarded the same car out of the corner of his eye. Even before Jayden managed to pull out his earplugs, Kagami had already returned his gaze in her inspection of the subway car. She waved her hand in his direction and smiled at him, then turned her head around to say something to Tsukasa, who was standing right next to her. After she did so, the two girls started walking towards him, making their way past a few standing passengers. Jayden closed the newspaper and turned off his player while they approached.

"Hey, Jayden," Kagami said to him when she was close enough for him to hear.

"Morning, Jayden-san," Tsukasa greeted him as well, looking a bit drowsy, her eyes half open.

"Hey, fancy meeting you here again," Jayden smiled at them. Luckily, a few passengers who had been sitting beside him had left at the Takanomiya Shrine stop, at which point the subway had emptied a little – there was enough room for Kagami and Tsukasa to sit next to him.

"How are you?" Jayden asked while they were settling down, putting their satchels in front of them like he had.

"A little tired. We studied math together last night," Kagami answered, glancing towards her sister. "I still feel weary from spending so much time practicing equations for the exam."

"Oh, I know how you feel. With so many tests approaching, usually I want to get math out of the way first," Jayden replied.

"The test will be mainly on geometry, though, which I'm especially bad at," Tsukasa said with a nervous smile. "I even have trouble drawing diagrams."

"You got them right in the end, Tsukasa," Kagami told her reassuringly with a nod of her head. "I'd say that you are ready for the exam tomorrow."

"I hope so, Sis," Tsukasa beamed at her.

"What about you, Jayden?" Kagami turned to ask him with evident curiosity. "Are you managing with all these tests?"

"You could say that," Jayden replied while rubbing the back of his neck. "I probably could have prepared for all subjects already, but I have a few more to study for – I still play _Surface Breach_ every now and again to relax myself."

"And you don't want Konata complaining about you not joining her in the game too much," Kagami told him with amusement.

"There's that too," Jayden chuckled.

"I could use a little break myself, if our class didn't have an English test at the same day tomorrow," Kagami said in a sigh.

"Really? I think we only have homework to do for next time," Jayden said, looking Tsukasa's way to see her nod of confirmation.

"There's even a speaking section and I'm a bit worried about it," Kagami added. There was a thoughtful look on her face for a moment before she looked towards Jayden and said, "I've been meaning to ask you if you still wanted to study together for English classes. I could use the help."

"Of course," Jayden replied as he offered her a smile. "I have to do some lengthy English homework anyway and it's boring working on it alone. I'd love to help if I can."

"Thank you," Kagami answered happily, returning his smile and brushing away the bangs from her face. "I don't carry my English books, though. Even if I did, there wouldn't have been much time in school and I'd rather we studied somewhere more quiet anyway."

"You can come over to my house after classes," Jayden suggested after a few seconds of thought. There was a hint of surprise in Kagami's eyes as he said it. "My mother's probably going to be there as well as Kaiya, but it's usually very quiet."

"Oh, that would be great, Jayden," she eventually said with a nod. "It can get pretty active at home during the afternoon, so we might not be able to focus there anyway."

"You wouldn't need to worry about that at our place, at least," Jayden replied. "Just say whenever it's comfortable for you to come by later, I can wait for you at the subway stop to lead you to the house."

"If you're sure that I'm not going to intrude…" Kagami said as she gave him an expectant look.

"Don't worry, you won't be," Jayden answered confidently with an assuring smile.

"Okay. Thank you again, Jayden," Kagami told him with apparent relief.

It wasn't long before the subway reached the center of Kasukabe, at which point Jayden, Kagami and Tsukasa left the car to head towards school together.

* * *

Konata's expert eye looked over the illustrations in yet another page of _Master of the Dungeon's_ newest issue. She had waited for the lesson to finally end, and then she had brought out the book from her satchel and inspected what she had read the day before once again. After she did that, she looked over her shoulder once most of the people in class had started going about the room during the breaktime they were given. She noticed that Jayden was still rummaging through his bag for something, so she decided to get up and head towards his own desk this time. This couldn't wait any more.

"Look, Jayden!" she exclaimed as she approached him in anticipation with the book in her hand. She could see him glancing towards her with confusion as he got the lunchbox out of his satchel. Konata pointed towards the pages she had opened the manga on. "This is the scene I was talking to you about just before. Sanjuro is clearly planning to betray his sister here."

"Oh, hey!" Jayden said as he blotted out his line of sight to the pages of the book by covering it with his hand. "I haven't gotten that far yet, don't spoil this for me."

"I'll say no more then," Konata answered, closing her eyes, a knowing smile forming on her lips. "But let's just say that your theory that Sanjuro will live up to his word hangs in the balance."

"Don't get me too excited about it, otherwise I'll have trouble studying for the tests," Jayden told her in a laugh. In response, Konata leaned towards him with a smirk on her face.

"And I wouldn't be too sure that Makabe is safe in his hidden cavern. Maybe Admiral Akkaraju will finally find him on page 394…"

"Oh, come on! Why don't you just recite everything that happens in the book next?" Jayden complained with obvious annoyance. Konata couldn't help but chuckle, amused by seeing his irritation at the false facts she was giving him.

"I can't keep this in anymore, Jayden, I want to discuss what happens in the manga with you – so you better catch up soon if you don't want me spilling out everything."

In a moment, the glare Jayden was giving her subsided as he turned his head towards something behind her. Konata followed his gaze to see that Miyuki and Tsukasa had approached them too, as well as Kagami who had apparently arrived from her class.

"What is going on, Kona-chan?" Tsukasa inquired.

"Is that the manga you and Jayden are both reading?" Kagami asked, pointing her finger towards the book. Konata wasted no time explaining the concept of the manga.

"Yes. It's an underworld setting where several lords control different dungeons and want to take over the rest with the power of dark magic. Whoever controls all dungeons would be able to find a way to reach the surface world and escape."

"Sounds mystical," Miyuki commented with interest.

"I'd rather read something more in touch with reality," Kagami answered while inspecting the cover of the manga, curiosity on her face nonetheless.

"Don't pretend you're not intrigued, Kagami. I can see that it attracts you," Konata grinned at her, showing her the cover more closely.

"I was just looking at the blurb on the front. I thought the author's name looked familiar."

"Even if you were to pick it up, you'd have a lot to catch up on," Jayden added. "The series has been running for a few years now, and I don't see it ending anytime soon."

"Yet you're really interested in it, Jayden," Kagami observed as she looked towards him with a soft smile, leaning backward on the desk in front of his. "I seem to remember you being almost as ecstatic as Konata usually is when you bought that book from the store."

"Well, there was a really long hiatus," Jayden answered with a light blush on his face that Konata was able to notice. "It was a while since I've read any new issues of the manga."

"Why haven't you read it already then, Jayden?" Konata asked, not masking the impatience she felt.

"I'd like to take my time with it. I don't want to finish reading it too soon and then have to wait for the next issue again," Jayden explained. Looking at Konata, he inquired with interest, "What are you reading now, after you completed it?"

"Other manga, of course," Konata replied immediately.

"Well, I don't really follow anything else at the moment, so I wouldn't have anything to read myself," he said. He placed his hands on either side of his lunchbox and looked to the girls as he asked, "Nobody else really hungry?"

"I am," Kagami nodded towards her own lunchbox in her hand that she had brought with her.

"Me too. Breaktime is almost over," Miyuki pointed out.

"Then let's go before Ms. Kuroi arrives," Konata said, heading towards her desk and where her meal for the day was prepared.

* * *

After a good few minutes of waiting on one of the benches close to the subway stop, the noise of an incoming underground train filled the station. Jayden turned his head to look at the approaching transport and stood up to get a better view of the crowds of people that would inevitably begin appearing when the vehicle eventually stopped.

Jayden's eyes went from person to person as he inspected the passengers emerging from the subway that had just arrived. He reckoned that spotting Kagami among them would be difficult, but as the throng began to disperse in all directions with no sign of her, it became apparent that she hadn't been in any of the cars. Jayden proceeded to look at the watch on his wrist again and saw that he was still at least ten minutes early for when they had agreed to meet. With a sigh, he sat down on the bench again and began waiting for the next train.

There was a newspaper stand right next to him, but he had already read most of today's issue. He figured that he could try to fill in a crossword or a Sudoku puzzle, but then he realized that he hadn't brought a pen. His MP3 player was also forgotten back home, for he hadn't thought of taking it with him this time. That left him to simply wait without anything particular to do, but his anticipation for meeting up with Kagami made time pass strangely quickly. Before he knew it, the sound of the next subway making its way towards his stop deafened the chatter of people around him.

Once it arrived, Jayden stood up once again to make sure that he didn't miss Kagami. The cars were even more crammed than the ones before, but it took only a few seconds for his eyes to quickly register a familiar purple-colored hair that stood out in the crowd. It wasn't long before the people around started disappearing and then he had a clear line of sight to her a good few meters away from him.

Even from this far, he could see Kagami's gaze doing its own search as it looked through the different people at the stop until it eventually landed on him. Jayden didn't realize that he wasn't making a gesture to greet her or to indicate that he had spotted her as his eyes couldn't help but look her over.

The blue button-up vest she had donned matched the uniquely bluish color of her eyes so well and complimented her slender figure nicely. She was wearing it on top of a short-sleeved white shirt with neatly folded cuffs as well as a collar around her neck. Her hand was holding onto the strap of a small black bag that she had brought with her, while the short dark purple skirt she had put on was of a similar shade to her hair. Jayden's gaze registered the way the couple of pigtails in front of her hung loosely over her body and how they eventually began to lightly flow from the force of the subway heading towards the next stop. He reached her eyes again and noticed the curious expression on her face and her slightly parted lips. He looked away for a second with a blush when it hit him that he had probably been staring. When he glanced back, he saw that Kagami was already heading towards him, wearing a soft smile. There was an air of maturity about her from the way she had dressed and how she carried herself.

"Hey, Jayden," she said when she neared him, her voice gentle and warm. From this close, Jayden was able to see that her cheeks were slightly colored.

"Hey, Kagami," he answered with a smile of his own.

"I had just missed the subway when I arrived at the station. Did you wait long?" Kagami asked with concern.

"Not particularly, no," Jayden replied as he shook his head. "I arrived early anyway. Then again, in hindsight, maybe I should have brought some candy. It always helps kill time."

"It certainly does that," Kagami beamed at him.

"We'll open up some at home to compensate," Jayden said with a nonchalant wave of his hand and a grin.

"That sounds great," Kagami replied with mirth, and then began running her hand along the length of a loose pigtail at the front as she added, "I mean, if it's not going to distract you from studying, of course."

"Ah, no way. If anything, it helps me concentrate," Jayden was quick to answer reassuringly. He glanced backward to the stairs leading to the nearest exit and said, "The house is only a few minutes from here, if you're ready to go."

"I am," Kagami said in a nod, after which they both started heading towards the stairs.

* * *

Even before they completely climbed up the steps leading out of the underpass, Kagami was already able to see the clear blue sky above and could feel the warm spring air. Once she found herself back on the surface, she spared a moment to enjoy the pleasant weather as a soft gust of wind gently touched her face and caressed her hair. She glanced sideways towards Jayden to see him looking at her for a moment before he turned away, the wind blowing at his bangs and ruffling them across his face. There was a look of contentment in his eyes as he breathed in heavily in the direction of the wind, putting his hands on his waist. His loose button-up shirt, dark green like the nuances of his otherwise black hair, was also being hit by the gust, as did the black trousers that he had put on.

"I love spring weather," she told him happily as she approached him.

"So do I, it's very relaxing," Jayden replied, now leading the way through a calm narrow street. "We're lucky to have had so many pleasant days the last couple of weeks."

"They said it's going to continue being this way for some time," Kagami informed, spending a moment to look at the pleasingly colorful houses clustered closely together on either side of them.

"Yeah, I heard that much. With so many tests we have to prepare for, the last thing we need right now is gloomy fogs and rainstorms."

"I can't deny that," Kagami turned to smile at him. "Though simply going out for a walk in days like this is an inviting thought, isn't it?"

"It is. It could make preparation for exams difficult," Jayden agreed in a nod and returned her smile.

They made a turn to the right towards a street not unlike the one they had been on just before, once again clustered with houses, reminiscent of Kagami's own neighborhood.

"I've lived in Kuki-shi all my life, but I'm mostly familiar with the districts around Takanomiya Shrine on the other side of the river," she told Jayden. "I'm not sure whether I've been here before, but it looks similar to the streets around our house."

"I like it here, especially when it's quiet like this during most of the afternoon," Jayden spoke, looking around them with a hint of fondness in his countenance. "I used to live in an apartment right next to a pretty active street and it was often noisy from all the cars going left and right."

"That sounds like it can be rather annoying at times," Kagami commented.

"It was," Jayden replied, glancing towards her for a moment and then turning to fix his gaze on the house on their left, stopping right in front of it. He looked back at her again and said, "We're here. This is our home."

The structure of the two-floored house they were standing next to was not too different from the ones around it, and yet it seemed to be somehow more inviting. Its white walls were nearly concealed from the thick colorful bushes at the front near the porch, with purple and blue being the dominant shades of the now blossoming flowers. They were densely packed in the tiny courtyard, which was separated in two by the steps leading towards the front door.

"These look beautiful," Kagami said, still not having torn her eyes away from the flowers, reaching out to touch and smell one that sticked out of the fence, closing her eyes for a moment as she did so.

"I really like them myself. They bloomed only recently," Jayden replied as he looked them over. "Kaiya takes the credit for maintaining them."

"It has paid off," Kagami answered, turning to smile at him earnestly, a gesture that he returned himself.

As she relinquished her gentle grip on the flower, Kagami followed Jayden through the steps to the front door of his house, which he was already in the process of unlocking. Once the white windowed door was open, he gestured for Kagami to head in first.

She found herself in a narrow corridor, and what caught her eye were a few haphazardly hanging ornaments from the ceiling, ones that glittered in the sunlight coming from the windowed entrance. They diverted attention away from the couple of coat racks on one side of the wall, both of which were rather full with various jackets and hats.

"Welcome to the Ariyoshi residence," Jayden told her when he closed the entrance behind them.

Before Kagami could reply, the door to her right suddenly opened and noise from a TV reached the corridor. She turned her head to face a rather short girl looking at her with a smile. She had a shoulder length hair of green with shades of black that resembled Jayden's, but her rounder brown eyes were quite different from his own. She had put on a beige-colored T-shirt and a pair of dark jeans.

"Hey, you must be Kagami," she said in perfect Japanese with a slightly high-pitched, cheerful voice. She had extended her arm in her direction, bringing Kagami's intention to bow at a halt.

"This is my sister Kaiya," Jayden told her.

"Nice to meet you," Kagami replied to Kaiya, taking her hand and gently shaking it.

"Likewise, Kagami. I've heard a lot about you," Kaiya said, glancing towards Jayden for a moment and casually leaning on the door frame.

"Oh, you have?" Kagami spoke inquisitively with surprise. She was quick to add, "Jayden's said a lot of things about you too."

"My brother seems to be quite the tattletale," Kaiya answered with amusement, giving Jayden a teasing look.

"I've had only good things to say about you, Kaiya," Jayden let out a heartfelt chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck. When Kagami glanced back at him, he added, "And I doubt I'm a tattletale. It was probably just a mention or two anyway."

"It didn't sound like that to me," Kaiya grinned at him, and then looked at Kagami again as she said, "I hear that you'll be studying for some kind of an English test, and that you'll be having a lot of exams these days. Our school has been giving us lots to do, as well."

"Yes, it's not easy to keep up sometimes, especially with so many subjects," Kagami replied with a nod. "I've got most of them covered for now, but I've yet to prepare for the English exam, and your brother kindly offered to help."

"I wouldn't worry about that then. He managed to help me a lot with my Japanese when father wasn't around."

"It shows. Your Japanese is excellent," Kagami answered with a sincere smile on her face and gave Jayden a glance.

"Well, of course it was father who taught us Japanese, I just shared what I had already learned from him," Jayden replied.

The sound of another door opening brought Kagami's attention towards the far end of the hallway where she noticed what she thought to be Jayden's mother heading in their direction. The light green color of the taller woman's round eyes bore an immediate resemblance to her son's, while her long straight dark green hair was more reminiscent of Kayia's. She was wearing a short-sleeved black blouse and a long grey skirt, her face beaming at the group as she briskly approached them.

"Why didn't anyone tell me that we have a guest?" she said in an expressive voice, her eyes moving from Jayden to Kaiya for a second until they settled on Kagami. There was a thick accent as she spoke in a slightly broken Japanese, "It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Alycia."

The woman outstretched her hand towards Kagami, who was quick to accept it this time.

"It is a pleasure to meet you too, Ariyoshi-san. I am Hiiragi Kagami," she replied cheerfully, the good mood of Alycia proving to be rather infectious.

"Oh, just call me Alycia," the woman waved her hand dismissively and then putting it on her waist. "You're Jayden's classmate from Ryōō, correct?"

"Yes, though I am in a different class," Kagami replied.

"Ah, yes, he mentioned that," Alycia nodded Jayden's way before turning her gaze back on her again. "Did you have to travel long to get here?"

"No, I live next to Takanomiya Shrine a couple of stops away."

"That's a beautiful place. I finally got to visit it with my husband last weekend after hearing so much stories about it," Alycia said with enthusiasm, her eyes having lit up.

"I went there once already on a class trip," Kaiya chimed in as well. "There are so many things to do – we even got to draw fortunes."

"Oh, you did? My sister and I are shrine maidens, and we work on setting up these fortunes most of the time we work there," Kagami informed.

"That sounds like it can be responsible work – there are literally walls of fortune leaflets in Takanomiya Shrine," Alycia answered. "My husband and I picked some ourselves during the weekend we went there, but you're not supposed to reveal what you got if you want them to become true."

"If you believe in them, anyway," Jayden reminded. He sounded eager when he added, "I haven't had the chance to explore it fully yet, and I'm especially looking forward to seeing how a festival is like."

"It can be very enjoyable, but the next one won't be until a few days before summer break," Kagami replied as she turned her head in his direction.

"I hope I'll be able to be there when it's time for it, I haven't been to something like that before," Alycia said with palpable excitement. She turned to face Kagami again and smiled her way. "Well then, I hear that you've got some studying to do, so I won't keep you. Would you like something to drink, Kagami?"

"I would not mind a glass of water," Kagami replied after a moment.

"I'll go get one," Jayden spoke and opened a door on the left towards what seemed to be a small kitchen.

The door bell suddenly chimed and it brought everyone's attention to a woman who could be seen through the window waiting on the steps outside.

"Oh, this is my next patient for the day," Alycia informed, scrunching her eyebrows for a second towards the door in slight confusion. "Right, it is Ms. Katsura."

"Can I still watch TV in the dining room?" Kaiya asked her mother with a pleading look.

"Yes, don't worry, I'll take this upstairs," Alycia nodded her daughter's way. She looked at Kagami as she told her, "I apologize for cutting this short, but I'm still in the middle of my working hours."

"It is no problem, Ari— Alycia," Kagami smiled after she quickly corrected herself.

While Alycia went to the front door to greet her patient, Jayden arrived back from the kitchen with two glasses of water in his hands.

"We can go set up everything we need for studying in my room," he suggested, handing one of the glasses to her.

"I've got my books ready," Kagami retorted, nodding towards the bag that she was now holding in her left hand.

"I should probably go do some homework myself. After the movie ends, I mean," Kaiya told them with a grin, waving in their direction and then turning back towards the room she had appeared from before.

Kagami proceeded to follow Jayden through the corridor, who led her to a door on the right.

They entered a rather small room, which was lit from the sunlight coming from a rectangular window on the other end, the dark green curtains of which were pushed back on either side. There was a desk right in front and a computer placed on it, with a few disk cases chaotically scattered next to the screen. Jayden was heading towards a little round table on the right with a couple of chairs sitting opposite one another.

"This room has seen better days, but at least I removed all the _Master of the Dungeon_ volumes from the table," Jayden spoke as he placed his glass of water there and rushed towards his satchel in the corner of the room to rummage through it.

"Is it that big stack of books there?" Kagami asked, pointing to a large pile of manga volumes placed next to the bed on the left.

"Yeah, as you can see, I've been following it for a while," Jayden chuckled as he returned to the table and put down the notebooks he had gotten from his satchel. He looked up to Kagami and smiled, "Make yourself comfortable, I'll go get a box of sweets. To keep us concentrated, of course."

"What else could be the reason?" she replied, immediately returning his smile as she proceeded to sit down on the chair on the opposite side of the table, opening her bag to look for the English material she had brought with her while Jayden left the room for a while in his search for candy.

* * *

Turning over the next page of homework that they had to do, Jayden looked Kagami's way to see her writing out one of the exercises, a look of concentration on her face as she looked at the given sentences.

"I think it was mostly conditionals that they were going to test you on, right?" Jayden inquired curiously.

"Yes, that's why the homework we have to do is on that topic as well," Kagami answered, turning her head away from the book to look at him.

"That, and a speaking section," Jayden added. "I think they also gave a list of topics of what they were going to ask us about."

"I'm worried about that," Kagami told him with a sigh. "I know how the conditionals work, but we've rarely been tested on pronunciation before."

"Well, let's give a couple of these sentences a try, if you want," Jayden suggested, pointing towards a text on Kagami's notebook that she proceeded to look at curiously. "You can try reading them now for practice."

"Okay," she said in English with a smile as she looked at him again, having switched to the foreign language. There was an obvious trace of her accent as she spoke, but it was understandable.

"Very good," he replied in his native tongue, taking one more piece of candy from the box of sweets that they had both begun emptying.

Kagami picked up her book, slightly elevating it in her direction with the back of her hands still resting on the table. She cleared her throat ever so slightly before she began.

"If I… shack my hed, den I… hav a difurents opinion," she slowly read each word, her accent much more acutely noticeable this time. She looked up to Jayden with an expectant look on her face.

"Uh… what page was the sentence at?" Jayden asked with confusion in Japanese, turning the pages of his own book to see where she was reading.

"Forty," she replied after looking at the number herself.

"Oh, I see. Well, I suggest that you listen to me reading it first and then you'll be able to repeat more easily," Jayden told her in a nod which she returned, and then he proceeded to read the sentence as clearly as he could.

She repeated it confidently, her accent still showing through in a similar way as last time. Even though it would have been difficult to understand for Jayden if he didn't know the sentence beforehand, the way she said it sounded somehow endearing and he felt a smile pull at his lips.

"What?" she asked as she looked at him nervously, a slight blush forming on her cheeks.

"Let's try individual words," he replied, fighting the smile that was still creeping on his lips. "The third word is pronounced like this: "sh-ei-k", otherwise you're talking about something different."

"Sh…eik," she first said, looking somewhere away towards his computer as she did so, and then firmly repeated the word to herself. Even if she was now pronouncing it correctly, the distinct accent that she had was still there.

"Why are you smiling like that?" she asked, looking at him out of the corner of her eye. "Am I still saying it wrong?"

"Oh, no," Jayden immediately replied, not having realized that he had been grinning again. "That's how you say it, yes. Shake. It's like that with similar words, like "fake" or "take", when you see these letters together. In that case, 'a' is pronounced like 'ei' while and the last 'e' is only written, not spoken."

When Jayden finished talking, Kagami began writing out what he had just said on her notes. Looking at the page of her book in the meantime, he noticed how neat her handwriting was – in not only the Japanese, but also the Latin letters that she was writing down. There was a distinct twist that she often made for the curves of most characters.

"Let's try pronouncing 'different' again," Jayden suggested after Kagami was done and after she had eaten another piece of candy from the box.

Looking at him with confidence, she pronounced the word in the same way she had done before – but before Jayden could say anything, Kagami stopped him.

"Wait, I can do this," she told him, gesturing her hand in his direction while looking down at the text. "Difurents… No, that's not right..."

"It's a more difficult word, so we can leave it for later when we practice simpler ones first," Jayden spoke, rubbing the back of his neck while smiling once again despite himself.

Kagami, however, was still quietly mumbling the word, looking back in the direction of his computer again.

"Difurents…" she eventually uttered louder, and then sighed in irritation as she picked up the book and looked at the sentence with furrowed eyebrows. "Come on, why can't I say this correctly?" she spoke with a frown, a blush appearing on her face again. Jayden could definitely understand how she was feeling, but the smile didn't leave his face at the sight of her flustered over pronouncing the word.

"You'll get it eventually, Kagami. You could try breaking it down into syllables," he advised.

"I'll probably manage to say it right if you stop smiling like that," Kagami replied, her hand having started to twirl one of her hair strands.

"Alright, no more smiling then," Jayden spoke, though even as he said it, there were still signs of his grin that disappeared only a few seconds later.

Kagami then took his advice and started breaking the word down, which soon proved to be very helpful for her. Jayden said the syllables first and she repeated after him, and it wasn't long before she managed to connect them together into the word that she had been having trouble pronouncing before. The method turned out to be effective for a few more words of that nature that they encountered in the following conditional sentences.

"Phe – no – me – nal," Kagami spoke the syllables first, slightly brandishing the pen in her hand as she uttered each one, and then said the whole word with less difficulty than before.

"This is really working out," Jayden commented joyfully. "It'll also help you memorize the different word structures better for when you stumble upon similar ones that you haven't seen before."

"It takes some practice, but this helps a lot indeed," Kagami nodded with a smile on her face, her eyes looking at his. "Thank you, Jayden."

"It's no problem, Kagami," he replied, suddenly aware that he could also teach her to say his name better and more correctly than she did, but decided against it.

Afterwards, they spent some time looking through the different possible topics that the teacher had given them for the exam and words that might come up in each one. That allowed them to also fill in any missing pages from the homework that they were given, which had to be ready for tomorrow. The actual test would be given to Jayden's class later in the week, so he had more time than Kagami until then – not that he was particularly worried about it. After all, having to sit through English classes was a bore for him, but writing homework or preparing for tests was even more so.

That was not the case today, however.

* * *

If the screen panel on the wall was accurate, and it usually was, then the next subway in the direction of Takanomiya Shrine was three minutes away. Kagami glanced back from the panel to Jayden, who had come to the station as well to send her away.

"I wouldn't worry about the test tomorrow, Kagami. I'm sure you'll do fine," he told her with a comforting smile.

"I hope so," she replied in a sigh, and then smiled back. "Thank you for saying it, and for all your help today."

"It would've been very boring to prepare for it by myself anyway," Jayden answered.

"And it was nice meeting your mother and sister, too. They were very friendly to me."

"You had luck with Kaiya, however. When she's in a bad mood, she's not very good at hiding it," Jayden said with an amused expression on his face. "But even with all the tests that she has to prepare for herself, she's been having fun in her school, and I think it shows at home."

"She takes after your mother in a way," Kagami retorted. "Both seemed quite energetic and brisk."

"And I'm not?" Jayden asked teasingly, putting one of his hands on his waist.

"To a certain extent, maybe," Kagami said while giving him a cryptic smile.

Before she knew, the underground train was already arriving, and it was seconds away from opening its doors. The people around were already gathering near the station's safety line. Kagami turned her head around to look back at Jayden.

"I'll see you tomorrow in school, Jayden," she told him, brushing away her bangs to look at him while readjusting the strap of her bag.

"Until then, Kagami," he replied, returning her gaze.

Kagami turned around to notice that most of the people around had already entered the subway – she was quick to follow them into the nearest car before the doors closed down. After she grabbed hold of the closest railing, she looked through the window and saw Jayden still standing outside, his eyes on hers again. He didn't head back until he was out of sight as the transport eventually started heading towards the next stop.


	6. 11th of May, 2013

**Someone Else**

**Chapter 6: 11****th**** of May, 2013**

Once Mr. Shinu picked up the sheets of paper that the students had given him, his petrifying gaze did a full inspection of the class again, probably trying to find more signs of copied notes somewhere. A few moments passed until he finally started heading towards the door of the class, bidding everyone a bitter farewell just before he disappeared.

The room was then filled with sounds of sighs – Jayden himself felt relieved as he began working the muscles in his right hand, for he had been writing out equations from the math exam for the past couple of hours. Despite his preparation, a lot of questions had given him pause, and he wasn't sure whether he had answered them correctly, but the test had ended and the worry could finally stop.

Chatter about the exam began spreading throughout the class room – even Tsukasa and Miyuki were already talking with Konata a few desks ahead, which was where Jayden headed towards as soon as he put his pen, pencil and ruler back in his satchel.

"I'm ashamed to say that the sixth question, which should be an easy one to answer, was particularly difficult for me," Miyuki was talking to the others with a nervous smile. "But I had time to spare, and I left it for when I filled out the other equations of the test, and I managed to work it out."

"The one with the heptagon?" Tsukasa asked, to which Miyuki nodded in response.

"Even Takuma sitting behind me didn't manage to get it right," Konata said as she shook her head.

"And how would you know that, Konata?" Jayden joined in, folding his arms as he looked at the girl with amusement. Konata turned her head to notice him standing next to her.

"Discussing the question with him after the test, of course," she answered in a smug smile as she closed her eyes and raised her index finger in the air.

"Considering that the test ended about a minute ago, that discussion must have gone by really fast," Jayden commented with a grin.

"Don't tell me you managed to answer that question, Jayden – it was ridiculous," Konata told him seriously.

"I admit I did not even know where to start," Tsukasa said sheepishly. Konata did not turn her head back to look at her, but nodded approvingly regardless.

"Yeah, I couldn't solve it either. I think we had an example of sorts back in one of the lessons, but it wasn't as complicated as this one," Jayden replied, putting one of his hands on his chin as he tried to remember.

"Actually, I believe it was very similar, just with different values this time," Miyuki spoke. "I suspect that is how I managed to fill it out."

"I guess I must have forgotten it," Jayden answered in a shrug.

Even in the middle of their discussion of the math test, Jayden noticed that Kagami had entered their room and looked up to return the smile that she was wearing as she approached, the pigtails of her hair lightly dangling behind her.

"Hey," she said, waving her hand at her classmates, then putting it on her waist as she walked up beside her sister, the others greeting her in the meantime. Curiosity was evident in her eyes as she asked, "How did it go?"

"You know how it's like with Mr. Shinu," Konata sighed with exasperation. "He caught Keiji copying from his notebook. It was not pretty, nor did it help class morale."

"He didn't yell again, did he? I can't focus when he does that while I'm working on a test," Kagami retorted.

"In my case, it gave me the perfect distraction to share insight with my dear friend Takuma," Konata replied as she gestured her hand to Kagami, not attempting to hide the grin on her face.

"To copy his notes, you mean," Kagami translated with a smirk of her own. She cast Jayden a knowing glance in response to his chuckle.

"That's particularly risky when it comes to Mr. Shinu," Jayden added. "I saw that a lot of others wanted to help each other then, but looked too afraid to do it. They were trying to ask anything they could, but kept glancing at the teacher."

"Ah, so if you saw that, then you intended to ask someone for help too, didn't you?" Konata turned towards him again, her eyes lit up as if she had just found all of the rarest items in _Surface Breach_.

"Let's not jump to conclusions," Jayden replied as his hand rubbed the back of his neck, Konata's complacent expression not wavering at the sight. "It's not as if I wanted to copy the whole test – I only had a couple of the hardest questions remaining, and time was already running out."

"But this proves you thought about copying too, even if you didn't get to do it!" Konata nearly shrilled, pointing her finger towards Jayden.

"Still looking for ways to excuse your copying, eh, Konata?" Kagami said as she looked at Konata, both of her hands on her waist. She then turned her head to face Jayden as she added with a smile, "The difference is that he actually studied for the test beforehand."

"Details, Kagami," Konata waved her hand dismissively. "The important thing is that the temptation is there, and I proved it."

"I don't know if I can even try to look at someone else's notes. Mr. Shinu frightens me too much," Tsukasa said nervously, a blush forming on her face. "Ever since I had that nightmare that he expelled me from school, I can't even look him in the eye."

"Some teachers have that effect on people," Miyuki nodded with understanding.

"Thankfully we only have one of them like that here," Jayden spoke with a contended sigh. "There's always at least one in every school, though."

"Did you have a similar teacher like Mr. Shinu in your previous school, Jayden?" Kagami asked him curiously.

"Yes, our history teacher was very strict and I had an even harder time studying for that subject then. That's not the case with Ms. Kuroi, fortunately."

"Anyway, the benefit from having finished with the exams for the week is that we don't have to talk about these things for now," Konata interjected, clenching her fist triumphantly. "We must go to the _Crouching Dragon_ after school to celebrate this achievement."

"That's a good idea, actually. We haven't gone there in a while," Kagami nodded with approval.

"What's the _Crouching Dragon_?" Jayden inquired with confusion.

"It's a sushi restaurant in the center of Kasukabe," Kagami explained and then asked inquisitively as she tilted her head in his direction, "Do you like sushi, Jayden?"

"Yeah, I do," Jayden replied. "I haven't eaten sushi here yet, though."

"I'm sure you'll like the food there, then," she smiled at him, leaning back on the chair behind her. "There's a reason we go there occasionally."

"In that case, I'd love to see how it's like. I'd say that it will be well-deserved after all these exams."

"I'd like to go there too. Anything to get my mind off math," Tsukasa said, Miyuki nodding beside her.

"It's decided, then," Konata announced, clapping her hands together with closed eyes. She then looked at Jayden as she said, "It will prove to be a good preparation for our descent into the Baneful Chasm of Madness later."

"Is that where we're going?" Jayden asked, noticing Tsukasa and Miyuki's confused faces and Kagami's sigh.

"Why, of course. The Zealous Sword of Fortitude is ripe for the taking," Konata exclaimed with vigor.

"Well, that's great, but what about something there that can be of use for me? Wands, elemental scrolls, anything?" Jayden asked.

"I don't know, I haven't checked," Konata replied, grinning at him again afterward. "You're not thinking that you're going to become completely obsolete, are you Jayden? Because you haven't yet, don't worry."

"That's… comforting, Konata," Jayden said, nodding in mock appreciation.

"How do we always end up talking about video games?" Kagami asked with amusement while looking Jayden's way, a soft smile having appeared on her lips.

Their conversation was cut short from the arrival of the physics teacher Ms. Sato, a short raven-haired woman whose round brown eyes looked at the equation-filled black board while she headed towards her desk. She proceeded to give her students a sympathetic look as she set her books down, prompting everyone to go back to their seats.

* * *

After moving through the densely packed central square of Kasukabe once classes were over, Konata had led the group to the _Crouching Dragon_ restaurant. It was situated on the first floor of a tall office building, whose roof could be seen from the subway stop that they usually used to head back home.

They were now sitting in a familiar, relatively isolated booth by the window that they usually went to whenever they visited the restaurant. Kagami looked up from the menu that she was holding in her hands to look over the interior again, most of which was in a pleasantly dark green shade like the actual seats they were now sitting on. The activity in the street outside could be seen from the window, while the actual restaurant was relatively quiet, with only a few more clients scattered around.

Kagami was sitting next to Tsukasa with Jayden and Konata on the other side of the booth, while Miyuki had asked for a chair to be seated in the middle. Judging by the thoughtful expressions, nobody seemed to have decided what to order yet.

"The smell in here always makes me hungry," Tsukasa said as she lifted her head from her menu.

"I already was for some time, but there is a lot more to choose from here than I thought," Jayden replied, his eyebrows scrunched as he looked through the list of items with hesitation.

"What do you say we order a bowl of sashimi to share?" Kagami finally suggested as she looked up from her menu towards her sister. She added, "I know that you like shrimps while I can take the squid – they serve them with salmon and tuna which we could split between ourselves."

"Sounds good, Sis," Tsukasa agreed while nodding approvingly with a smile. "I always seem to be in the mood for seafood."

"They make them very delicious here," Miyuki commented. "I want something similar myself, but with a whitefish of some kind."

"Fried tofu sounds good to me," Konata said, putting down the menu in front of her.

"You always order that in here, Konata," Kagami observed, looking at her friend with confusion.

"I've discovered that they serve it with unusually large amounts of rice," Konata answered knowingly as she closed her eyes. "It's also cheaper because it's less varied, but I get to take at least a piece of whatever the rest of you order anyway."

"You're surprisingly open about your scheme," Kagami replied with amusement. Looking at Jayden, who was still buried in the menu, she asked, "Still having trouble choosing, Jayden?"

"I don't recognize most of the names of the dishes," he spoke. "It's full of terms I haven't seen before, even in the actual descriptions."

"Maybe an English menu will help you, but I don't think they have one here," Kagami said. After a moment, Jayden put the menu down and looked at her, folding his arms on the table.

"What did you say you'll order – sashimi? That's wrapped in rice, right?" he asked her.

"Yes, it's several pieces of each fish," Kagami explained.

"Then that's what I'm going to get too," Jayden decided, putting away the menu to the side and leaning back on the seat.

"I thought you were going to ask for chocolate-flavored sushi first," Konata said as she smirked at him.

"No, but you're giving a pretty good idea about dessert," Jayden retorted with a smile.

"I don't think that chocolate sushi is served here," Miyuki commented as she looked closely at the list of foods again.

"It's no problem – I've got something waiting for me at home anyway," Jayden spoke with visible contentment, throwing a glance in Kagami's direction as the two shared a smile between themselves.

"I have never seen chocolate sushi. Does it even exist?" Tsukasa asked curiously, a following silence falling upon the booth.

"Ask the experts," Konata suddenly said with amusement, nodding Jayden and Kagami's way, the latter of whom furrowed her eyebrows at her.

"If it doesn't, then it definitely should," Jayden said with a grin, which made Kagami chuckle softly in response.

Before anyone had the chance to reply, a young waitress came over to their booth to take their order. Shortly thereafter the delicious smell in the restaurant intensified – what they had requested was soon brought to them on several black sushi plates, consisting of mostly rows of various seafood rolls and different sauces.

Kagami looked over the plate she shared with Tsukasa, the different sushi rolls neatly arranged in vertical lines with the sauces placed on the corners of the plate. She could almost hear her stomach growling at the sight.

"It smells so good!" Tsukasa exclaimed happily next to her. She picked up the chopsticks next to her and pointed them towards a line of sushi rolls. "Those are the salmon and tuna ones, right Sis?"

"They are," Kagami nodded, her own chopsticks ready in her left hand already. She looked up to see Konata already devouring the rice in her plate, while Jayden still hadn't touched his.

"I forgot that they serve with chopsticks here," he spoke, hesitatingly grabbing the utensil.

"You don't know how to use them?" Kagami asked with curiosity, still not picking up any of her own food as she looked at Jayden trying to get a hold of his chopsticks.

"I should have told the waitress to bring me a fork instead, but… this can't be too hard, can it?" Jayden replied, still struggling to pick up his chopsticks properly, clumsily putting them between the various fingers of his right hand.

"You have to place them between your thumb and index finger, Jayden," Kagami said in an effort to help, still watching her increasingly irritated classmate's futile efforts, feeling a smile pull at her lips at the sight.

Jayden silently tried following her advice, but to no avail – he sighed in annoyance as he attempted to pick up one of his sushi rolls before it fell on the plate a couple of second after. Kagami couldn't help but giggle, prompting him to throw her a glance – his frown was replaced by a nervous smile while his face was slightly colored.

"I might've just discovered your own cute shortcoming, Jayden – points added for subsequent embarrassment," Konata said with amusement as she leaned towards him with a grin. "Are you sure you're not doing it on purpose?"

"No, I've just never learned how to use them," Jayden replied as he proceeded to give it yet another try, but failed once again as the lower chopstick fell from his hand on the plate. He grumbled when that happened, making it difficult for Kagami to contain her amused smile. He eventually sighed in defeat as he put the chopsticks down, rubbing the back of his neck.

"It's no use – I'll just ask for a fork."

"But if you eat them with a fork, then the sushi rolls can fall apart easily when you stab them with it," Kagami said, still smiling at him.

"I'm just too hungry right now to begin learning how to use chopsticks," Jayden told her, his eyes impatiently looking over his plate.

When the waitress gave him the requested utensil, Jayden was quick to stab the nearest sushi roll on his plate, several small pieces of salmon meat escaping the rice immediately after the contact. He groaned again, giving the salmon roll an irritated stare.

"This is more difficult than it should be," he complained, dipping the remainder of the sushi roll in soy sauce regardless, tapping on the table with the fingers of his left hand. Kagami chuckled again at the endearing sight of him being flustered.

"Your inexperience with chopsticks is not surprising, Jayden. You prevent embarrassment in school by eating sandwiches most of the time for lunch," Konata commented knowingly as she closed her eyes.

"Or possibly because I just like sandwiches," Jayden glanced at Konata before continuing his struggle with the sushi rolls.

Looking at her own plate, Kagami noticed that she had barely picked up anything yet while her sister had already eaten a few tuna rolls. She proceeded to grab one with her chopsticks, her hunger too strong to ignore anymore.

* * *

Despite some of the ingredients falling on the plate with each piece that Jayden devoured, the rolls still tasted very good. He liked the ones with salmon in particular, which quickly began disappearing one by one. Konata beside him had finally stopped smirking and had turned her attention to the fried tofu in front of her after picking some rolls from his plate herself.

Just when Jayden thought he was getting the hang of eating sushi with a fork, he found himself distracted once again. He looked straight in front of him at Kagami, who was slowly chewing on one of the rolls with a look of contentment about her, her eyes fixed on the table somewhere. She was letting out a subtle noise as she ate, one that he almost didn't pick up initially. The pleasant sound of it as she continued chewing was adorable, making a smile appear on his lips that he wasn't aware of.

A sigh beside him brought him back from his reverie, causing him to look sideways to see an exasperated Konata as she herself stared at Kagami, who had lifted her head to face her.

"What?" she inquired, casting Konata and then Jayden a confused glance for a moment.

Jayden was already working on picking up his next sushi roll when Kagami began making that noise again, directing his eyes back on her. Konata's groan beside him made Kagami stop chewing as she looked at her inquisitively.

"Why are you staring like that? Do I have something on my face?" she asked, furrowing her eyebrows a little.

"Another charming quality about Kagamin has been revealed before me," Konata spoke complacently in response.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Konata," Kagami replied in an annoyed voice, her cheeks slightly colored.

"Jayden sure seems to," Konata answered with a grin she directed his way, which made Kagami look at him curiously herself. He could only return her gaze for a second before turning his attention to the rest of his sushi rolls, feeling a blush creep on his face in embarrassment.

"I'm trying to eat here, Konata," he could only say, trying to make himself focus on picking up one of the tuna pieces without having it fall apart completely.

"Whatever you say," Konata replied, still smirking as she continued eating her fried tofu.

After a few moments, Jayden glanced at Kagami, noticing that the blush on her own face had persisted as she proceeded to grab hold of one more roll. Her eyes met his for a brief moment before she began chewing again, this time soundlessly. She smiled at him softly as she did and leaned back on the seat, looking through the window beside their booth in thought. Jayden found himself subconsciously following her example, still smiling inwardly to himself.

"It feels good to have finished with these exams for the moment," Kagami eventually said to the group. "We've had more than our fair share of studying the past couple of weeks."

"I'm especially glad that the math test is out of the way," Tsukasa replied with a smile. "I had to stay up late most days to prepare myself for all subjects, but math gave me the most trouble."

"Indeed. So many different formulas to copy," Konata nodded dramatically as she closed her eyes and shook her head.

"It would have been nice if they had given us the results for most tests already," Tsukasa added. "They are over for now, but I still worry about not knowing the results."

"Try not to think about that, Tsukasa," Kagami smiled at her sister. "I wish I knew my grades too, but there's nothing we can do until they actually check our tests, so you just have to take your mind off that."

"Online gaming is especially good at that," Konata spoke with confidence as she raised her index finger in the air.

"Also particularly good at taking your mind off studying," Kagami teased her friend as she tilted her head in her direction.

"Not if you know your schedule," Jayden said, just having finished up with most of the fallen ingredients from his sushi rolls. "But yeah, I look forward to some time off. It's nice to be able to finally relax."

"I will not be relaxing for another couple of hours," Miyuki chimed in nervously. "I have to go to the dentist today, and I am ashamed to say that I have been postponing it for a long while."

"Oh, I know the feeling," Jayden retorted with a sigh. "I've never been too eager to go to the dentist myself. I don't like my teeth being worked on like that."

"It's not so bad – you tend to feel freshened up afterwards," Kagami told him as she gestured her hand in his direction and then faced Miyuki again, "If I were you, I'd stop postponing it. The faster you go through it, the less you have to think about it."

"I guess you are right, but the fear is still difficult to overcome," Miyuki spoke.

"Makes you wonder why in manga and anime that fear is encouraged, where dentists are always portrayed as evil sadists who take pleasure in hurting people and are usually the villains in the story," Konata said with a thoughtful expression on her face.

"Is that so?" Kagami asked incredulously, throwing a glance at Jayden as if looking for confirmation.

"I bet you've just stumbled upon some very weird manga and anime, Konata," he said in a chuckle.

"If it was bad, I wouldn't have bothered with it," Konata retorted as she closed her eyes.

"Regardless, there's the advancement of technology to consider too," Kagami spoke, brushing away the bangs from her face before she continued. "The instruments they use nowadays are no longer as painful as they've been in the past."

"That's true," Jayden replied in a nod, then looking down toward the table as he added, "Still, it's not the most pleasant experience."

"I didn't imagine that you would be afraid of dentists too, Jayden," Kagami said, giving him a soft teasing smile.

"It's not fear of dentists per se," Jayden spoke after a moment while rubbing the back of his neck, watching the amusement in her eyes. "I just don't like going to one."

"Maybe I should not have mentioned this. Talking about dentists makes me more nervous for my appointment," Miyuki said anxiously, worry evident on her countenance.

"Everything's going to be fine, Miyuki – think nothing of it," Kagami told her reassuringly, nodding her head. Miyuki could manage a meek smile in response.

The group's chat continued as they slowly finished up with the food on their table, Jayden still being careful not to waste any more of his away. Having fun in the girls' company, he thought of how nice it felt being able to enjoy some free time without thoughts of incoming exams and homework assignments. There would inevitably be more on the way again when they begin studying new material next Monday, but for now, Jayden could relax fully, and spending time with the girls like this was a good way to do that.

Eventually, the waitress came by the group's booth and gave them the check, which they all split among themselves. With the remaining food gone, they proceeded to leave the restaurant with smiles on their faces, heading towards the familiar subway stop.


	7. 28th of May, 2013

**Someone Else**

**Chapter 7: 28****th**** of May, 2013**

A few moments after the open door to his class was in sight, Jayden pulled out the plugs from his ears, stopping the mellow trance track that had been running on his MP3 player during his trip to school. As he put them back into the front pocket of his satchel, he threw a glance in the direction of the paper sheet on the wall, which contained the results of exams that his class had done a couple of weeks before. There had been a lot of excitement when they were still recent, but now they were being paid little mind by students until it was time for new tests, which was uncomfortably soon.

Stepping through the door of the classroom, Jayden's attention was quickly brought to one of the front desks in the middle row, where he noticed Konata holding a bouquet of flowers as she listened to something that Miyuki beside her was saying. That helped remind him of what else he was carrying in his satchel, along with the occasion for which he did. He approached the girls, who soon noticed his presence as he walked up next to them.

"Happy birthday, Konata," he congratulated joyfully, looking at her as she placed the flowers on the desk behind her, which she had probably just been given by Miyuki.

"Jayden! You remember when my birthday is?" she asked with apparent surprise in her voice.

"Putting it down on the calendar of my computer probably helped," Jayden replied with a soft chuckle. He fumbled around the contents of his satchel until he found the gift that he had placed inside.

"This is for you," he said, handing her a small orange T-shirt that was neatly wrapped in plastic. She quickly picked it up and scanned it with evident excitement, turning it over a couple of times in her inspection.

"This character looks like mine!" Konata exclaimed, her eyes examining the axe-wielding warrior on the front and the logo of _Surface Breach_ behind him.

"I thought he did – if anything, it's the same class," Jayden spoke, and then grinned as he added, "It should be your size, I don't think there was anything smaller in the store anyway."

"Laugh it up all you want, but I believe that I'm now one year older than you," Konata grinned back, pointing at him. "And I'm one step closer to being able to legally play adult games."

"I see you have your priorities sorted out," Jayden laughed mirthfully, earning himself a knowing smirk in return for a moment before Konata started looking over the T-shirt again.

"How could I have missed checking out the_ Surface Breach _merchandise?" she inquired incredulously.

"I found it in the video game store in my own neighborhood – I'm not sure if the one next to our stop has it," Jayden explained. "There were other shirts with the rest of the classes as well."

The sound of cheerful greetings behind Jayden made him turn his head around to face Kagami and Tsukasa, who were now coming into the classroom, holding wrapped gifts of their own. Kagami wore a soft smile as she neared the group, waving her free hand at them joyfully, her sister closely following her towards them.

"Happy birthday!" Kagami said happily to Konata as she approached her.

"Happy birthday, Kona-chan!" Tsukasa congratulated, handing her a box of chocolates.

"So many people remember my birthday!" Konata nearly yelled, a smile on her face as she accepted Tsukasa's present.

"Here you go, Konata," Kagami said as she extended her arm in her friend's direction, a gift of her own in her hand.

"Kagami bought something for me too, I'm overjoyed!" Konata exclaimed, grabbing the gift from her enthusiastically, her eyes lit up.

"Of course, it's your birthday, isn't it?" Kagami answered with a furrowed brow, putting a hand on her waist as she watched her friend rip the wrapper to reveal a manga volume underneath it.

"A manga that I don't have!" she spoke while looking it over. Standing beside her, Jayden curiously inspected the cover of "_In the Center of the Blue World_" himself. Konata glanced at Kagami again as she asked, "How did you know that I don't have this already?"

"I had some… assistance from the owner of the shop," she replied with a confused look on her face, putting a hand on her chin thoughtfully. "He recognized me as your friend, and seemed pretty convinced that you hadn't bought this one before."

"I haven't. I can't believe I've never heard of this," Konata retorted, quickly scanning the text on the back of the book.

"I hope you'll like it, Konata," Kagami said with a smile. "I thought it might be something you could get into."

"It will undergo a rigorous inspection," Konata told her firmly, raising her index finger in the air.

"I'm not sure I've seen this either," Jayden commented, his eyes still on the cover with interest. "It looks pretty good, and judging by the date, it's something recent as well. The plot sounds intriguing, too."

"Looking at you now, I think that maybe I should have gotten two of these," Kagami said, her smile turned into a teasing grin as she turned to face him.

"Don't worry, there's always my birthday in September for that," Jayden replied with a chuckle.

"I'll keep it in mind next time," Kagami told him, tilting her head in his direction with a playful look in her eyes.

"How does the age of seventeen feel, Kona-chan?" Tsukasa inquired.

"Not unlike levelling up, Tsukasa. It's triggered flag of maturity," Konata replied proudly with conviction, closing her eyes. "An event that needs to be celebrated – and so it shall be, in the house of Izumi. And you are all coming."

"You're inviting us to your house?" Kagami asked curiously.

"Yes, you can come after school," Konata nodded, looking at everyone in the group. "You know where I leave to catch the subway. It's a few stops away from there."

"I'd love to come then, Konata," Kagami answered with a smile, and then looked towards her sister inquisitively.

"I would be happy to join too, Kona-chan," Tsukasa said excitedly, the two sisters sharing a nod between themselves. Kagami then looked Jayden's way with a similar curious expression.

"I'm up for it as well," he spoke as he turned to face Konata.

"Luckily, I have already prepared my physics essay for tomorrow so I will have time to come too," Miyuki chimed in.

"Excellent," Konata said vigorously. "My father's going to be home as well, but I hope he won't be of too much trouble."

"Why would he be?" Jayden inquired with confusion.

"You won't know until you meet him," Konata sighed wearily.

Before he could ask more on the subject, the English teacher had already arrived in the classroom, turning everyone's attention to her as the young woman greeted the class. Konata began cleaning up her desk and putting down the gifts that she had gotten next to her satchel, while Kagami bid the others farewell as she left the room. Jayden proceeded to walk towards his desk, already mentally preparing himself for a few hours of English lessons, ones that he often had trouble paying attention to.

* * *

Kagami looked through the crowd of people on the active underground station as she sought for any sign of Jayden, but then noticed that the subway that had just arrived wasn't even the line he used. She turned to face Tsukasa and Miyuki again, who were there with her in one of the stops in the Minami Saitama district, the one Konata usually left at to catch another transport to Satte-shi. Her sister was wearing a red hoodie and short pink skirt, while Miyuki had put on a beige button-up coat and a pair of gray trousers.

They had all gone back to their homes after school to leave their school satchels and prepare themselves for the visit, agreeing to meet on the stop they were now on to head to Konata's house together. Kagami and Tsukasa had arrived a bit early, but so had Miyuki, who had already been waiting for them.

"I'm looking forward to seeing what Konata's house is like," Kagami told the rest.

"Me too, Sis. We always seem to hang out at our place," Tsukasa replied with excitement.

"I have not been there before either," Miyuki chimed in. "I was still not friends with her last year at this time of school."

"I wonder how she'd like to spend the day," Kagami spoke with curiosity. "Maybe she'll want us to watch an anime together with her, or play a game."

"That sounds like Kona-chan," Tsukasa retorted.

"Either way, it'll be fun hanging out together there, all of us. We don't do that outside of school often enough," Kagami said with a smile, Tsukasa and Miyuki nodding in response.

Kagami looked at her wrist-watch, seeing that at least five minutes had passed since the time they had all agreed to meet.

"I hope Jayden doesn't forget to leave the subway at this stop and go to school again out of habit," she spoke with a chuckle.

"I am ashamed to say that I have done that on occasion," Miyuki answered, smiling meekly at her.

"He always seems to have his MP3 player with him when he's travelling alone, and I think it might distract him," Kagami added, gesturing her hand at the rest.

"If I don't hear the announcer in the car, I'll have already missed the stop by the time I see the signs outside," Tsukasa said with a blush on her face.

"And when the car is crowded, you can't see through the window, and you have to rely only on the announcements," Miyuki replied, nodding Tsukasa's way.

"Well, there seem to be a lot of people using the subway at this time of day…" Kagami observed with slight worry, looking at the many passengers going in and out of the cars.

"It is worse when the car is so full that you are not able to fight your way through in time," Miyuki continued.

"And the doors close down just in front of you when you finally get there," Tsukasa added.

"But that doesn't happen often, does it? Not when you ask people to give you space," Kagami said, getting looks of uncertainty in response, to which she couldn't help but sigh anxiously.

"Oh, here is Jayden-san," Tsukasa suddenly informed. Kagami quickly followed her gaze to the crowd of people leaving the subway that had just arrived, and was able to notice Jayden walking among them in her direction. Her eyes found themselves wandering as she looked at him while he approached.

The light open jacket that he had put on was of a dark green color similar to one of the two shades of his hair, his long bangs hanging loosely over his right eye. He had put his hands in the pockets of the jacket as he walked, which he was wearing over a black shirt that went well with his black trousers. The outfit looked very good on him, the darker colors matching his features nicely. He smiled as he got closer to them, brushing the bangs away from his face, revealing more of his light green eyes that Kagami eventually noticed were looking at her. She found her gaze faltering and looked to the side for a moment, pushing back a lock of hair behind her ear, feeling color rise in her cheeks.

"Hey," Jayden said to the group with a nod.

"Hello, Jayden-san," Tsukasa replied, as did Miyuki, who slightly bowed in her greeting.

"Hey," Kagami spoke, her eyes meeting his again.

"I'm sorry if I kept you, I had to wait for the subway for a while," he told them, lifting his hand to look at his watch for a second.

"It is no problem, you are not late," Miyuki smiled at him.

"Don't you have your MP3 player with you?" Kagami couldn't help but ask curiously, suddenly aware that she hadn't seen it on him when he appeared.

"I do, but I put it away shortly before I got out of the subway," Jayden explained, revealing the player which had been in one of the pockets of his jacket. "Why do you ask?"

"Nothing important," Kagami replied, slightly shrugging as she added, "Just wondered if you decided not to bring it with you so that you don't miss the stop. Since it may distract you, I mean."

"Oh, seeing Konata leave here every time made me memorize the place, I couldn't miss it," Jayden answered, waving his hand dismissively. He then looked at her with a teasing smile and asked, "Were you worried I was going to get lost?"

"I just thought that it might be a possibility," she retorted, still feeling the blush on her face. "The subway lines here can be very confusing sometimes, and you might not have gotten used to them yet."

"It wasn't easy at first, but I can make my way around now – it's not too difficult," Jayden replied confidently.

"Then you should have no problems leading the way to Konata's subway line," Kagami said after a few seconds as she looked at him, a smirk threatening to creep on her lips.

"Well, I mostly meant that I can navigate within my own line," Jayden spoke while rubbing the back of his neck.

"That's quite different then, Jayden," Kagami told him as she beamed at him playfully.

"I'd prefer it if somebody else were to lead the way – I don't want to get us lost and then arrive at Konata's house late," he said, Kagami's amused expression while she watched him still on her face.

"I think I know where we're supposed to go," she eventually replied, looking at Tsukasa and Miyuki to see them nod. She proceeded to navigate through the crowded subway station, the others following her as she went.

* * *

The group stood in front of the entrance of the Izumi household in Satte-shi, a cool gust of wind hitting them in the pleasant spring afternoon. Konata's home hadn't been too far from the station they had gotten out of, and it was only a few minutes worth of walk away. They had just rung the bell and waited for someone to meet them at the door.

As the seconds flew past, Jayden wondered if anybody inside had even heard the bell chime, for they had been standing there for a while. He shared a confused glance with Kagami next to him on the steps, who proceeded to ring the bell again, this time more persistently.

"Do you think Konata has gone out?" she asked curiously, putting her hand on her waist as she looked behind at Tsukasa and Miyuki, and then at Jayden. The cool wind went past them again, making Kagami's hair blow in the air, along with the light, black open jacket she had put on. She was wearing it on top of a blue shirt that matched her eyes well, while the short brown skirt she was wearing was the color of the ribbons in her hair.

"She seemed excited to have us over," Jayden replied after a moment. "Where could she have gone?"

"Maybe she has not heard the bell," Miyuki said thoughtfully.

"Oh, I think someone's coming," Kagami suddenly informed, the index finger of her hand slightly raised as she seemed to focus on hearing what was going on inside.

It wasn't long afterward that Konata briskly opened the door to her house, looking at her visitors joyfully. She was wearing the shirt that Jayden had given her in school before and a pair of jeans.

"Welcome everyone," she told the group with a smile, gesturing them to come inside.

"Afternoon, Kona-chan," Tsukasa replied happily. Miyuki closed her eyes and slightly bowed as she greeted the girl herself.

"You didn't hear us ringing the first time?" Kagami inquired, stepping through the door along with the others.

"I did, but I was playing a match with my father on the console," Konata explained nonchalantly.

"Celebrating already, I see," Jayden grinned.

"What if it had lasted longer, Konata?" Kagami asked, folding her arms. "Would we still be standing outside?"

"Ah, a fighting game against my father never lasts long. Or against anyone else for that matter," Konata answered in a knowing smirk. She closed her eyes, shook her head and sighed as she added, "I've given this a fair bit of thought, Kagami."

"If you say so," Kagami said, now with clear amusement in her voice.

There was a coat rack on the wall next to the door, which was where Jayden placed his jacket after he took it off. Kagami followed suit, as did Miyuki.

They were standing in a big hall with a large rectangular table in the middle with an open newspaper and a coffee cup on top. A lot of pictures of different landscapes were hung on the walls, reaching to the end of the hall, which was where the doors to the other rooms were, all of them ajar. One of them was suddenly opened by a tall, skinny man with short disheveled hair, blue in color like Konata's. He had put on a loose green robe with sleeves that almost covered his hands, which he wore on top of a gray shirt and trousers. His brown eyes looked at the visitors with intrigue as he swiftly approached them, rubbing his facial hair in thought.

"Ah! You are Konata's classmates from school," he stated.

"This is my father Sōjirō," Konata said, and then proceeded to introduce her friends to her father, who regarded each one with a slightly different analytical expression. Jayden was introduced last, and Sōjirō seemed to show the least amount of interest in him from everybody.

"Thank you for having us over," Kagami told him with a smile, doing a slight bow along with the other girls. In his confusion as to whether he should do the same, Jayden was a little late for his own bow.

"Oh, it's my utmost pleasure. Konata has told me a lot about you," Sōjirō answered with a smile of his own. He regarded the girls a little more and then asked with palpable excitement in his expression and voice, "You two are the shrine maidens, correct? When and where do you wear your yutakas?"

"Um, there is no strict schedule for that," Kagami replied confusedly, looking taken aback by the question. Jayden felt one of his brows rising slightly as he glanced back at Sōjirō.

"But you must have some idea about it, right?" Konata's father inquired determinedly, his eyes rapidly shifting between the Hiiragi sisters. "You must do ceremonial dances, too! Do you still wear yutakas then, or do you put on something different?"

"We usually only handle fortunes," Kagami answered, slightly narrowing her eyes as she looked at him, and then at Konata, who shrugged back at her.

"Come on, dad, don't bother our guests. I want to show them around," Konata told her father, and then turned her head to look at the visitors. "Let's go to my room."

When Konata started leading the group down the hall towards one of the doors, Jayden still watched Sōjirō with suspicion out of the corner of his eyes. The man kept his gaze on the girls, and then finally looked at him with an unreadable smile on his face, suddenly giving him a thumbs-up. Jayden couldn't help but furrow his eyebrows to himself afterward, not knowing what to make of the gesture.

The confusion that Sōjirō had brought upon Jayden was quickly replaced by astonishment as he found himself in front of an enormous pile of manga books in Konata's room.

"Why am I not surprised?" Kagami asked with a grin as she looked over the pile.

"You've got quite the extensive library, Konata," Jayden commented teasingly, but with an appreciative nod regardless.

"Those are only the ones that I've read," Konata explained. "If I have something I haven't checked out yet though, it goes to that pile pretty quickly."

"If only you had the same passion with studying too," Kagami smiled at her, then caught hold of one of the manga volumes at the top and started skimming through it curiously.

"They're not all mine, though. Some of them are my father's. I think it's easy to tell which."

"Oh," Kagami could only reply, putting down the manga that she had picked up. "You might be right."

"These are so cute," Tsukasa said happily as she looked over some action figures that were scattered on Konata's desk.

"You've got a _Surface Breach _poster too," Jayden spoke, observing the picture of the main villain of the game put up on the wall.

"It came with the Collector's Edition of the game," Konata clarified.

"Where are these from, Kona-chan?" Miyuki inquired, her eyes on a couple of larger action figures of female dancers.

"I bought them from the last Comic Market that was held here."

"You seem to have a lot of video games for both your PlayStation and computer as well," Kagami observed, having moved on from the manga books, now looking over the many video game boxes next to the TV.

"Ah, I see you and your father were playing _King of Fighters 13_," Jayden commented as he noticed the familiar game menu displayed on the TV screen.

"He was quite easy to defeat, though – I've been looking for a challenge for this game for a long time. We'll see how well you play later," Konata told him with a look of confidence about her.

"We will? I have the game myself at home, but it's been a while since I've played," Jayden replied. The expectant expression on Konata didn't waver, so he eventually nodded her way and added, "But I want to play, yeah."

"Excellent," Konata said as she rubbed her hands together with excitement. "If anything, the match with my father was good for a warm-up."

"A fighting match between you and Konata?" Kagami said as she looked at Jayden with a smile, putting one of her hands on her waist. "I haven't seen anyone beat her at this type of game before. It'll be a first if you manage to take her down."

"Well, I've played my fair share of matches as well," Jayden replied while squaring his shoulders, smiling back playfully. "Maybe she just hasn't faced anyone as skilled as her yet."

"Don't go easy on her just because it's her birthday, Jayden," Kagami retorted, tilting her head in Konata's direction with a smirk. "I won't be too sure that she'll return the sentiment."

"You want to see me defeated? That wounds me, Kagami," Konata breathed out dramatically, putting a hand over her heart. She closed her eyes and leaned on the wall behind her, folding her arms. "First things first, though. I've prepared a cake for today, and I know that Jayden will appreciate it very much. Eating a piece might give him a little more of a chance, too."

"Let's hold the smack talk until we actually start playing," Jayden said while rubbing the back of his neck.

"I don't know, Jayden. I wonder whether there would even be time for smack talk then," Konata replied with conviction, making him sigh in response. Kagami chuckling beside them, though, caused a smile to appear on his lips, one that she returned herself.

Konata then turned towards the door of her room and walked out, presumably leading the rest to the birthday cake that she had just mentioned. Regardless of what she had said, Jayden had to admit that he definitely wouldn't mind eating a piece of that cake.

* * *

As he stared intently into the TV screen, Jayden felt his fingers chaotically press the buttons on the PlayStation controller while playing what could be the final round of the _King of Fighters _match with Konata. Things were not looking good, and his opponent didn't seem particularly worried, judging by the relaxed expression on her face as he glanced towards her for a split second, sitting on the floor next to him with folded legs. He turned his whole attention towards the game again, trying to press the right commands at the right time in his attempt to make the most of his last stand.

Jayden was playing with the third and last character on his line-up, K' – a dark-skinned man with contrastive white hair, who was wearing a light black jacket and trousers, along with black fingerless gloves on his hands. He had shades that he could throw at his enemies in a special attack, and was able control fire. Konata, on the other hand, was still playing with her second character, Clark Still – a heavily muscular mercenary who had several grenades on his vest, a black hat, as well as his own pair of shades. The slightly shorter man was proficient in wrestling and quite deadly in a fight, as Jayden could now see first-hand.

His character, K', was currently defending himself from the brutal attacks of Clark, who eventually managed to land a succession of hits, making K' fall on the ground again. Jayden's eyes registered the dangerously dwindling health bar above, compared to the almost full one of his opponent.

"Caught you there, Jayden," Konata commented snidely.

In the middle of his overzealous charge against K', however, Clark was caught in flames, a result from K's fiery punch. Konata's character began heading towards Jayden's again, jumping in the air as he prepared to land another hit, but K' was quick to use his blackout move to dodge it and found himself on the other side. Seeing that the super meter was finally charged, Jayden decided to have K' perform his Heat Drive move against Clark, blasting flames in his direction while sliding to his side. With Clark still down, K' prepared to punch him again, but Konata had been quick to activate a deadly combo that she had been waiting to use. Having taken the bait, K' was caught in Clark's arms and tossed in the air not one, not two, but three times, and then slammed on the ground. Jayden could hear a gasp behind him as that happened, and sighed as he saw the depleted health bar of his character, the animated people in the Chinese marketplace background cheering for the victorious Clark Still.

"Wasn't that one-sided?" Konata grinned teasingly at him, her eyes closed.

"Guess I'm not as good at fighting games as I thought," Jayden said in a chuckle as he let go of the controller, placing it on the floor next to him.

"Or Konata has been spending way too much time playing them," Kagami commented from behind with a chuckle, sitting on the bed with her legs crossed, still leaning slightly forward from having closely watched the game. Tsukasa and Miyuki were on either side of her, the latter of whom had a book in her hand that she read from time to time.

"You know the combos of your characters, Jayden, but you don't use them fast enough," Konata spoke, slightly shaking her head.

"Well, you put up one hell of a fight," he told her in response.

"Kona-chan always seems very experienced in the games she plays," Tsukasa chimed in.

"There are a lot of training videos you can look up for all characters and watch if you want to improve," Konata informed, then exhaled dramatically as she added, "For some, though, the skill is just something natural. Watching such videos would be a waste of time for me."

"Careful, Konata. Your head might become too big to walk through the door," Kagami spoke in a laugh, throwing Jayden an amused glance, a playful sparkle in her eyes that he couldn't help but smile upon seeing. She turned her head towards the screen again and said after a moment, "I'd like to play the game, too."

"_King of Fighters_?" Jayden inquired curiously, looking at her with his brows slightly raised in surprise.

"Yes, I want to play a match," Kagami repeated, nodding determinedly, her sister beside her now appearing even more curious than before.

"Normally I would play with you, Kagami, but spending the entire day beating easy opponents can only entertain for so long," Konata said in an exasperated sigh, waving her hand dismissively.

"So I'll play with Jayden then," Kagami answered, glancing in his direction again, a teasing grin eventually appearing on her lips as she added, "If he still has it in him, of course."

"Oh, I do," Jayden was quick in his reply, smiling back at Kagami, tilting his head at her. "You've played _King of Fighters_ before?"

"It's been a while, but I have, yeah," Kagami retorted. "I've played a few matches with Konata as well, but I wasn't particularly successful."

"You against Jayden? Now that could actually be interesting," Konata said after a moment with apparent intrigue, eventually putting the controller down herself and standing up with a smirk. "A victory for either of you would be good for your self-esteem."

"How long until she stops doing that?" Jayden asked Kagami with amusement, watching her kneel down on the floor next to him as she lightly brushed the bangs away from her face and picked up the controller. She turned her head sideways at him while gently pushing a pigtail back over her shoulder with her hand.

"I wouldn't hope for it to be today," she replied in an endearing chuckle, one that Jayden found himself returning.

"Kagamin, Jayden-san, stop the idle chatter and choose your characters!" Konata exclaimed excitedly, standing above them with folded arms.

"You'll be standing there while we're playing?" Jayden asked indignantly.

"Until you make your choices, yes," Konata answered, earning herself a sigh from Jayden.

After navigating through the menu, Jayden went about picking the same characters he had been using against Konata as well, glancing back at Kagami to see her thoughtfully looking over the different choices. In the end, she seemed to have made her decision, eventually picking all three of them in a sequence.

"Interesting," Konata said to herself, stroking her chin as she sat down between Tsukasa and Miyuki, both of whom had turned their attention to the imminent game as well.

"Good luck," Jayden told Kagami before they started the game.

"Same to you," she answered as she gave him a soft smile. Her hands were ready on the controller with her attention already turned back to the game, her body slightly leaning forward.

As the grandiose and majestic Coliseum of Roses revealed itself on the screen, so did the fighters who would battle against each other there. Jayden had chosen Kyo Kusanagi as his first character – a tall brown-haired man who was an expert in martial arts and had the ability to control fire. Wearing a black open jacket over a white shirt, as well as a pair of jeans, he was towering over his opponent - Athena Asamiya. She was a short, pink-haired girl dressed in a white and blue school uniform who could use psychic powers to attack her enemies with and was also proficient in kung fu.

Right after the countdown to the battle ended, Kyo was already on the receiving end of Athena's mid-air kick, followed by a few punches that Jayden couldn't block or dodge in time. A slight delay was what he needed to get away, turning the tide as Kyo started landing a succession of hits himself, eventually knocking Athena down on the ground for a moment.

"You lost your focus there, Kagami," Konata commented from behind, clucking her tongue in disapproval. "You had him."

Slightly distracted by Konata's words, Jayden was too slow to escape from another kick coming from Athena, which led to the girl using a Psycho Sword power, engulfing Kyo in a purple damaging haze while tossing him in the air. Jayden glanced sideways for a second to notice Kagami's look of concentration, her eyes fixed on the screen, brows furrowed a little as her fingers hastily pressed on the buttons of the controller.

"You're wasting time looking at your opponent, Jayden," Konata chimed in again, and even though Jayden couldn't see her, he could tell that she had a smirk on her face as she said it. Despite feeling Kagami's own gaze on him for a moment, he was able to return his full attention to the battle.

In yet another charge against Kyo, Athena found herself caught by the throat, a fiery explosion following that sent her to the ground again. As a result of that retaliation, both characters now had largely the same amount of health, already brought down in half. Seeing the charged super meter, Jayden felt like building on the momentum, and initiated a special attack against Kagami by having Kyo send a blast of fire in Athena's direction.

"Shoot," Jayden could barely hear Kagami softly utter in annoyance, a smile pulling at his lips in response to her reaction.

"Come on, don't just stand there!" Konata exclaimed, though it was unclear to him as to who she was talking about.

Jayden followed up the attack with a sequence of punches, but was surprised to see Kagami successfully managing to use a Psychic Teleport to save Athena, who now stood on the other side of Kyo. She followed it up with a Phoenix Arrow, having Athena leap in the air and then rapidly descend, wrapped in psychic power. Jayden was able to dodge it by jumping backward, however, and then began attacking Athena, using a powerful kicking combo that lifted both her and Kyo in the air. It proved to be enough to completely deplete Athena's health as soon as she hit the ground, though Kyo's own was not far from zero either.

"That was a close one," Jayden said while looking sideways at Kagami, who had leaned a bit backwards again.

"It was. Good move at the end, Jayden," she replied with a smile.

"You almost beat him, Sis," Tsukasa added.

"Maybe you could have avoided his last combo if you had used the teleport again, Kagami," Konata said, shaking her head in disappointment.

"Konata, your narration during the game is distracting," Kagami spoke as she turned her head backward with her eyebrows furrowed at her friend again.

"How are you going to perform at tournaments if you can't handle a commentator's input?" Konata answered with apparent indignation.

"I'm not going to any tournaments," Kagami spoke incredulously.

"I'm not either. And I'm sure commentators there aren't like that anyway," Jayden nodded in agreement.

"Fine, fine," Konata said in a sigh, followed by a teasing smirk. "It's more fun watching you both get all concentrated anyway. Kagami's face was practically glued to the screen. It's cute."

"I'm sure it wasn't like that," Kagami replied, turning away towards the game again, a slight blush forming on her face. Seeing Jayden smiling at her out of the corner of her eye, she said impatiently, "Come on, Jayden, let's continue the match."

After a moment, Jayden grabbed hold of his controller and prepared himself for the next battle, the amused smile still on his lips. He attempted to quickly regain his focus, for he now knew that this was going to be a difficult match indeed.

* * *

The second character in Kagami's line-up was Elisabeth Blanctorche, a noblewoman with short blue hair who had a formal navy blue outfit with a sword attached to it, though she didn't use it in battle. Instead, she projected a whip with her fist, which was what she was using right now to fight Jayden's character. To Kagami's dismay, Kyo was able to dodge any further attacks by jumping over Elisabeth, after which he sent a fiery blast in her direction that she couldn't escape from in time. Seemingly confident from the damage he had done, Jayden had Kyo launch another attack by leaping at her again, but Elisabeth caught him in the air by hitting him first, which was all that Kagami needed to defeat him.

"I didn't expect that," Jayden commented after the end of the round with a chuckle.

"You were quite aggressive this time. Not wanting to lose another match, Jayden?" Kagami said as she turned her head to look at him, giving him a teasing smile.

"No, I just made a mistake there," Jayden replied while rubbing the back of his neck, glancing back at her for a second.

"I did suspect this was going to be interesting," Konata said, her arms folded as she watched, appearing clearly entertained.

With Kyo defeated, now it was time for Jayden's second character to take the helm. He chose Duo Lon, a man proficient in necromancy, who was dressed in a long black robe with a few purple stripes, as well as several dragons emblazoned on the front.

Kagami made sure that she was the one to begin the initial attack, but Jayden managed to get Duo Lon out of the way before she could land any hits. He retaliated by extending his character's arm to hit Elisabeth from afar, and then quickly moved across the field with a sliding power to begin punching her from up close. Before he could do too much damage, Kagami quickly thought to use her Mistral power, emanating a beam of light that she was able to catch Duo Lon in. Noticing that she still had her super meter charged, she proceeded to use another combo, making Elisabeth jump close to Duo Lon again and then fire up a damaging ball of light that knocked him away onto the floor.

As she threw a glance in Jayden's direction for a moment, Kagami could see that he had slightly opened his mouth in concentration. His focused gaze was unblinking, and even though his bangs almost completely covered his right eye, it seemed like he couldn't make the effort to brush them away. She didn't let the amusing sight distract her for long and returned her attention to the game, just in time to block another assault from Duo Lon.

Jayden suddenly stopped attacking, jumping his character out of the way, which seemed like an opportunity to build up Elisabeth's super meter again by trying to land a few more hits. Before Kagami could get close enough, however, Duo Lon emitted a flash of light before gliding across the field and catching Elisabeth in a fog of shadows, skull-shaped wisps flying in all directions from where she had been standing before. Despite swiftly preparing her fingers on the controller to block another assault, Kagami couldn't do so in time, for Elisabeth was already on the receiving end of a few more hits from Duo Lon. Jayden followed that up with another combo that had the background around them fade into darkness as his character rapidly moved from one side to the other, hitting Elisabeth each time, eventually bringing her down to zero health. Another ominous smoke-screen appeared from where she used to be as Duo Lon stood triumphantly over a knocked down Elisabeth.

"That was scary," Tsukasa commented behind them, her fists clenched in anxiety.

"Boy, you almost made me miss this one," Jayden said to Kagami as he looked at her, sounding surprised.

"My intention isn't to make it easy on you, Jayden," Kagami replied playfully.

"Yeah, it certainly shows," Jayden answered with a grin he sent her way, relinquishing the controller for a second to work the muscles in his hands.

"I would've jumped out of the way before Jayden activated that combo," Konata said, eyes closed as she raised her index finger in the air knowingly.

"As if I didn't think of that," Kagami told her in response, glancing behind for a moment before turning her attention to the screen again.

"You have to do more than that, Kagami – you must act in time too," Konata retorted smugly.

Ignoring Konata's comment, Kagami just shook her head in Jayden's direction, earning herself an understanding smile from him. He grabbed his controller again in preparation for the next round, the two of them sharing a nod between themselves before continuing.

Kagami's final fighter in her line-up was Kula Diamond, the one she knew how to play best, for it was her favorite character in the game. Kula was a short young girl who had a long, straight light blue hair and crimson eyes and was a master of ice and often used her skates to attack. She was wearing a long-sleeved red jacket and trousers of the same color, both light so that she would be able to be as mobile as she could during battle.

Jayden was the first to attack, making Duo Lon stretch his arm again across the field, but Kula had already been in the air by that time – Kagami quickly had her begin kicking her opponent with her ice skates, finishing off with a hit that knocked him down. She looked to see that his health bar was dwindling, which she knew was an opportunity for Jayden to make a desperation move. Judging by the slowly shrouding darkness, Duo Lon was already preparing to glide towards Kula and hit her with his ominous power. Kagami was quick to react, making her character leap in the air to dodge Jayden's combo, and then landing another kick, following it up with an ice breath that sent Duo Lon flying, defeating him in the process.

"Whoa," Jayden exclaimed in surprise, then looked sideways at her with an earnest smile. "That was quite impressive, Kagami – I didn't manage to hit you once."

"Thank you," she beamed back at him mirthfully.

"Good job, Sis," Tsukasa chimed in happily, which made Kagami give her a cheerful glance in return.

"Of course, let's not forget that it's partially Jayden's fault that this happened too," Konata clarified. "He really shouldn't have used those moves in the first place, as it left him pretty exposed."

"Thanks for the reminder," Jayden spoke.

"Told you she wouldn't stop for the day," Kagami told him with obvious amusement in her voice.

"Oh, I believed you," Jayden answered in a chuckle, finally brushing the bangs away from his right eye as he looked at her. The pleasant smile that he had on his face was infectious, as it often seemed to be the case. Her gaze was on his until he eventually directed it to the screen again, and she only followed it a moment afterwards.

Kagami took a firm grip on the gaming device in preparation for the final battle between her character, Kula, and Jayden's own – K', who had already appeared on the field.

Once the countdown was over, K' jumped towards Kula in an attempt to hit her, but she got away just in time to dodge him and then immediately attack. Her own charge against K' proved futile as he retreated himself, blocking one of the hits and then walking backwards. Kagami saw just in time that K' had begun conjuring a fiery projectile that he would send Kula's way with a kick, which enabled her to create an ice shield around her to deflect the attack before it was too late. K' charged against her again, though this time she wasn't able to dodge or block in time – K' was landing a hit after a hit against Kula, finishing it off with a flying attack which had him surrounded in a single flame that damaged her. Kagami was able to ignore the sound of Tsukasa gasping behind her, finding the strength to retaliate. She landed a few well-placed attacks against K', finishing it off with a graceful kick with Kula's ice skates that sent him flying towards the other end of the screen.

Kagami didn't allow herself to blink as she had Kula continue her assault by jumping towards K' again, but he used a blackout move to fade and glide to the other side without being hit. She reacted on instinct, turning Kula around, commanding her to hit the ground with her fists, making ice crystals appear from the surface, which eventually caught K', knocking him down for a moment.

As her fingers continued to swiftly press the buttons on the controller, Kagami noticed Jayden's intense stare reflected in the screen, the light green color of his eyes not difficult to miss. She quickly worked through the distraction, concentrating on the match again.

K' had landed a strike against Kula, but she was able to get away before she took too much damage – she was already down to half of her health, but to Kagami's relief, so was Jayden's own character. She proceeded to use Kula's icy breath again, catching K' off-guard, sending him flying once again. She followed it up by trapping him in an ice crystal that he couldn't get away from, dealing a considerable amount of damage. To make matters worse for Jayden, Kula was also able to trip K' by freezing over the ground beneath for a moment, and now her opponent found himself at the edge of the arena with minimum health.

Kagami could already feel the taste of victory as she had Kula run in K's direction for a final succession of hits, but to her immense dismay, he had begun glowing in green – a damage bonus that Jayden had apparently been saving. That wouldn't have been a problem if K' also hadn't thrown his shades at Kula in the meantime, gliding towards her and striking a fiery punch, making the glasses fly in the air. Time seemed to stop as he picked them up and put them over his eyes again, proceeding to land a punch after punch against Kula, a kick after kick. After the innumerable hits that K' had made against her as she began falling down on the ground, darkness enveloped the Coliseum, with K' disappearing into it for a second and then showing up again, gliding in her direction with one final fiery strike.

The sounds of the girls' reactions behind her were muffled after Kagami noticed that Kula still had an ounce of health left, as well as a fully charged super meter. She could see Jayden's own surprise from the reflection in the screen, who immediately had K' try to take down Kula by sending a fiery projectile with a kick. Just at the last second, Kagami pressed the buttons of the combo that would form a protective ice shield in front of her character, which was what saved her from the attack. K' was already preparing for another attempt to defeat Kula, preparing to send a flame in her direction, but Kagami thought of using one of her most powerful attacks just in time, inputting the combination for her Freeze Execution move. Darkness surrounded the two characters again as Kula began flying towards K', switching forms as she hit him from both directions, and then proceeded to launch a deadly ice blizzard across the entire field. This time, when K' didn't get up from being knocked down, Kagami knew that she had won.

As she released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding, she looked sideways to see the look of surprise on Jayden's face, making her grin at him happily in response.

"Wow," he said with incredulity in his voice. "I almost had you there for a second, Kagami – I really thought I had won."

"I guess I had one last trick up my sleeve," Kagami replied, beaming at him playfully.

"This was so intense," Tsukasa spoke with visible anxiety, breathing rather heavily.

"Congratulations, Kagami-san," Miyuki added joyfully.

"Not a good day for you, Jayden – losing twice in a row," Konata commented, smirking at him while shaking her head. "It's bad for a gamer's reputation."

"Well, I had a very formidable opponent this time as well," Jayden retorted, returning Kagami's smile as he said it.

"You're quite the fighter yourself, Jayden," Kagami answered, brushing the bangs away from her face as she looked at him. "You fight with fire… literally, most of the time."

As Jayden laughed with mirth in response, Kagami found herself giggling after a moment as well, her eyes on his as she did so.

"I think this battle might have worn me out for now, but I'll certainly want the chance for a revenge some day," Jayden spoke while grinning at her.

"I might have to spend some time at home to practice then," Kagami replied, slightly tilting her head in his direction as she leaned backwards on her hands.

"Looks like I'll have to do the same," Jayden said, turning away to the screen while rubbing the back of his neck, a noticeable blush on his face.

"This has certainly been entertaining. Certainly more so than if I were to play with Kagami," Konata chimed in again, earning herself a look through furrowed brows from her friend. She added as she closed her eyes, "And if I know you two, the game would have opened up your appetite for some more cake."

"Well, it would be disrespectful of us if we refused your offer to eat cake on your birthday, wouldn't it?" Jayden replied after a moment, giving Kagami an amused smile.

"You're right, it would be," Kagami answered with a chuckle as she looked at him, both of them ignoring Konata's scoff that immediately followed.

* * *

The night fell around them as Jayden walked Kagami and Tsukasa back home from their subway station, having accompanied them all the way from Konata's house since. The pleasant cool wind that surrounded them made him sigh with contentment as he gazed at the clear sky above, the moon fully visible among the stars already. His eyes briefly closed as he breathed in the fresh air around them, sensing the familiar sweet scent of spring. He then looked back at Kagami and Tsukasa walking beside him on their way through a quiet street in Kuki-shi, one that joined the Takanomiya Shrine and the Hiiragi household.

"It's a beautiful night," he said to them.

"It is, isn't it?" Kagami replied, looking up at the sky herself, a portion of the stars above reflected in her eyes.

"It's rare when it's so clear like this," Jayden added after a moment, Tsukasa nodding at his words as she followed her sister's gaze.

"I find it really relaxing," Kagami answered, turning her head back to Jayden as she gave him a pleasant, soft smile. "Especially after celebrating a birthday the way we did."

"Yeah, some parts of it were really… intense," he chuckled in response, recalling the match he had played with her.

"I am happy Kona-chan decided to invite us to her house," Tsukasa said joyfully. "It was exciting seeing what it was like."

"It was, though we did have our suspicions about it beforehand," Kagami answered, the two sisters sharing a glance.

"Did you have any suspicions about my own house?" Jayden asked Kagami as he looked at her curiously with a grin.

"I might have," Kagami teasingly replied after a moment as she tipped her head towards him. "I'd say that most of them were confirmed."

"Something tells me I'm not going to get any specific examples," Jayden said in a laugh, receiving a soft, amused smile from Kagami in return.

Moments after, they found themselves in front of the now familiar entrance to the Hiiragi household, the lights inside already lit, the three of them slowly heading towards the door. Once they reached it, Jayden turned to face Kagami standing closely next to him, watching her as she gave a pleasant sigh. His gaze fixed itself on hers, noticing how her bluish eyes somehow glowed in the night with an umistakable unique depth to them. She brushed away the fringe of her hair that had fallen across her face, her hand proceeding to run over the length of a pigtail that hung loosely in front of her, Jayden's eyes involuntarily following the movement.

It continued along the blue shirt that matched her eyes so well, which tightly fit her slender body, bringing out the form of her breasts and the nicely shaped curves of her waist. Even as her hand stopped moving, his gaze wandered for a moment as it continued to look over her figure, reaching as far as her slim legs that showed off the smoothness of her skin. The light, laceless black shoes she had put on went well with the black open jacket she was wearing, which slightly blew in a new gust of cool wind along with her hair. He looked up again, seeing how its purple color stood out even in the darker lighting, still managing to draw his attention.

"See anything you like, Jayden?" he suddenly heard Kagami's warm voice, prompting him to instantly look at her eyes again, noticing a newly appeared rosy color in her cheeks while she gave him a pleasant, soft smile.

"Uh, I didn't mean to stare," Jayden replied, feeling a blush on his face, rubbing the back of his neck as he averted his gaze to the suddenly intriguing house on his right.

"That didn't answer my question," Kagami spoke teasingly, giving out a chuckle that made him glance in her direction out of the corner of his eye, her smile widening as she looked at him. He didn't have to mull over his answer for much longer, for she added after a moment reassuringly, "Relax, Jayden, it's okay. You didn't do anything wrong."

The blush hadn't left her face as she regarded him with amusement, her hand once again playing with one of her hair strands in the meantime.

"Well, if you're sure," he eventually answered while still rubbing his neck, earning himself another short, soft chuckle from Kagami.

"I guess we'll see each other tomorrow," she said after a moment, sighing as she looked downward for a second and then back at him, asking, "You're sure you can find the way to the station from here?"

"Still worried about me getting lost again, are you?" Jayden soon answered with a teasing smile, making her blush again in response.

"Well, the streets around are barely lit at this time, you may not see the signs either," she spoke, looking at him almost indignantly with a slight frown on her lips, her brows furrowed as she gesticulated.

"Don't worry Kagami, I think I'll manage somehow," he said, a hint of amusement in his voice still. He turned his head to look in Tsukasa's direction, nodding at her as he said, "Until tomorrow."

"Goodbye, Jayden-san," Tsukasa replied mirthfully as she closed her eyes.

Jayden looked at Kagami again, who was getting the keys out of the chest pocket of her jacket and started working on unlocking the door, opening it for Tsukasa to enter first. She held it open for a while as she waved in Jayden's direction, a soft smile now on her face. He returned the gesture, watching as Kagami began sliding the door, her eyes on his until it fully closed.

Sparing a moment to glance at the Hiiragi household with a contented sigh, Jayden eventually turned around to head to the subway station, looking up towards the stars again in thought.

* * *

Sitting in front of her computer, Konata chatted with her eager comrades in _Surface Breach_, who were standing outside the Gates of Despair with her. She had to talk with everyone there in her attempt to get a hold of her group and make them wait just a little while longer. Ms. Kuroi herself was unusually impatient that night and wanted to desperately fight against enemies of any kind as soon as possible, her bloodlust probably connected to her having a particularly bad day at work.

Looking over the equipment of her tank, Konata made sure that she had put on her new weapon – the Whirling Axe, which she had found in her mailbox in the game, a present from Jayden for her birthday. She was still surprised that he had actually given it to her and not sold it away, for it was a very expensive item that he could have just as easily traded for something he could use. She thought that the shirt that he had bought her, the one she was wearing now, was the full extent of his gift, but she had been pleasantly surprised.

Thinking about him, Konata couldn't help but smirk to herself as she recalled how concentrated in the fighting game Jayden had been today, wanting to win but failing twice despite his efforts. He was a worthy comrade in _Surface Breach_, but his knowledge of the MMO couldn't particularly help him in his matches earlier in the day. At least she got to see him how he looked when he played this intensely, and the sight proved to be more amusing to her than she would've thought. She wondered if that was how he played this game with her too, with his eyes glued to the computer screen while chaotically moving the mouse and rapidly pressing on the keyboard in his attempts to be a good player.

Her thoughts were eventually interrupted by excitement from finally seeing Jayden's name come up on the screen as he logged in the chat program. She was quick to send him a few messages, informing him that she was holding back a huge group of people from heading into the dungeon so that he would be able to play with them as well. He seemed surprised at first but quickly entered the game himself, joining the group shortly thereafter. Grinning from seeing how swiftly Jayden prepared his character for the dungeon, Konata didn't forget to show off her Whirling Axe to him before they started, letting him see that she had received the gift and was now using it.

As she began leading the group through the Gates of Despair, Konata smiled at the realization that her birthday celebration wasn't quite over yet.


	8. 1st of June, 2013

**Someone Else**

**Chapter 8: 1st of June, 2013**

Konata glanced wearily through the window of the classroom, once again registering the dark clouds gathered in the sky. It had been very cold on the way to school during the Saturday morning – unusually so for June – and it looked like it might rain soon. She leaned back on the chair of her desk with a sigh, turning her head towards Miyuki standing in front of her. Just like Konata, she was now wearing the school's summer uniform for girls, which consisted of a short-sleeved white and blue sailor outfit with a yellow ribbon tied in the front, as well as a short blue skirt. Normally Konata couldn't wait to change into her summer outfit, but today seemed just a little too early for that.

"Why did it have to get so cold now?" she complained to Miyuki with unconcealed annoyance.

"It is very unfortunate. They say the weather will not improve for at least a week," the taller girl replied, putting her hand on her chin and looking through the window. "It will begin to rain often, too."

"I used to be happy when it rained before," Konata responded with a dramatic sigh as she folded her arms.

"I have never liked rain myself," Miyuki said nervously. "It soaks my clothes and often makes me shiver from the cold. I must always remember to bring an umbrella with me when I go out, and it is usually quite dark and gloomy as well."

"I liked rain because baseball games would be cancelled and I'd get to watch anime," Konata spoke, then closed her eyes tiredly. "With so many dome stadiums nowadays, it doesn't matter anymore."

"That must be frustrating for you," Miyuki answered meekly, to which Konata vehemently nodded.

"It is. Rain just doesn't have a purpose anymore," she replied firmly, shrugging her shoulders grudgingly.

Miyuki looked as if she was just about to say something further on the topic, but Konata had already noticed Kagami and Tsukasa walking through the door of the class and turned her head to look at them. Tsukasa smiled at her as she approached with her arms crossed over her satchel and Kagami waved while she greeted both her and Miyuki.

"Oh, Konata, I see you've changed your uniform as well," Kagami then said to her with a teasing smile, putting her hand on her waist. "I was certain you would have forgotten and showed up in your winter outfit again."

"Your words hurt, Kagami. Do you really think I'm clumsy enough to forget something as important as that?" Konata answered with mock indignation.

"Well, you wouldn't have been the only one if you did," Kagami replied, turning her head to face her sister, who blushed in response.

"If it wasn't for Sis, I wouldn't have remembered myself," Tsukasa said with embarrassment. "I had to change out of my winter uniform just before we left."

"At least you would have been warmer with it in this weather," Miyuki chimed in.

"I'd rather I didn't switch uniforms today because of that," Kagami spoke as she glanced at Miyuki with an agreeing nod.

"But I see that you were in a rush to get dressed, Kagami. Your ribbon is a bit crooked," Konata suddenly said with a smirk after having looked over her friend.

"Oh," Kagami let out after a moment, curiously looking downward, soon beginning to adjust the yellow ribbon with her hands.

"Clumsy of you, Kagami. Not saying that the trait isn't cute," Konata grinned at her, earning herself a look through furrowed brows as Kagami continued trying to fix her ribbon.

While she was doing that, Konata noticed that Jayden was finally stepping into the classroom himself, the earplugs of his player in one hand and his satchel in the other. He was wearing a white short-sleeved button-up shirt and a pair of gray trousers like all the other boys in school did during the summer period. His curious gaze was already directed at the girls as he stored the player in the front pocket of his satchel.

"Hey Jayden," Konata was quick to greet her classmate, the other girls only turning around to look and take notice of him then.

"Hey," he replied, approaching them from the door with a smile.

"Morning, Jayden," Kagami greeted, her hands just having finished fixing the ribbon of her outfit and were now down on either side of her. Jayden had turned his head to look in her direction, lingering on her for a while without saying anything, seemingly eyeing her down.

"Yes, I changed uniforms too," Kagami told him after a moment with a teasing smile, a slight blush on her face as she said it.

"Uh, well, I notice," Jayden replied, a similar color on his own cheeks as he readjusted the strap of his satchel.

"Get your head in the game, Jayden," Konata suddenly spoke firmly. "You do remember we have to get _Emergence_, right? It's finally being released today," she reminded him with enthusiasm, bringing his attention to her after a second.

"Of course I remember, yeah," he replied confidently.

"What's _Emergence_?" Kagami asked curiously, looking from Jayden to Konata with interest.

"It's the long-awaited expansion for _Surface Breach_," Konata took the liberty to answer, raising her index finger in the air. "Containing fascinating new areas, more powerful and intricate weapons, a ground-breaking new storyline twist, as well as impressive diverse characters you have never seen before."

"You've memorized the words in the trailer," Jayden observed with amusement.

"So have you, it seems," Kagami told him teasingly as she tilted her head in his direction.

"Just enough to recognize them," he replied, rubbing the back of his neck while he smiled.

"Where will you get it from – that video game store in the center?" Kagami inquired curiously.

"Yeah, they're supposed to have it there today," Jayden nodded in response. "I can't wait to see how differently the game plays out from the manga."

"With any luck, we'll know by the end of next week, if there isn't anything too difficult in the game for us to overcome on the way," Konata added excitedly, looking upwards thoughtfully as she laid out her gaming plans in her head.

"Just don't forget that we have to write that physics essay for Monday," Kagami reminded, Tsukasa beside her suddenly looking rather nervous at the mention. "And that math homework, as well."

"The release of an expansion is a special occasion, Kagami. It invalidates such trivial chores," Konata replied as she shook her head determinedly, followed by a look of disapproval on Kagami's face.

"I won't be able to resist playing at least today after school," Jayden spoke with a smile. "Though I will have a lot of time tomorrow for those."

"I'm actually planning on resting myself today. It hasn't been an easy week in school," Kagami said, her eyes looking through the window as she sighed.

"The weather is not helpful when it comes to motivation for studies," Miyuki stated.

"It isn't even pleasant to just take walks anymore," Kagami added.

Konata observed as Jayden nodded in silent agreement to Kagami's words, and then registered that most students suddenly started heading back to their seats. She looked at the door on the right side of the room to see the geography teacher arrive in their class, her appearance already making the group formed around her disperse in various directions. Even though she appeared to be listening intently to the lesson that soon followed, thoughts regarding _Emergence_ still occupied her mind, her excitement for its release unwavering.

* * *

Konata inspected the shelves of the video game store and the people around her and Jayden with rapidly increasing thrill, familiar excitement written on other gamers' faces as they waited to get their own copy of the expansion of the widely popular MMO. They had been waiting a good amount of time already, but it was definitely worth it – the atmosphere at the release of a game was unique, and it was a fascinating thing to experience once more.

Chatter around them from fellow _Surface Breach_ fans was quite deafening, but a very pleasant thing to hear. There were strategies in the making, plans for raids, talks of character customization and story lore – it was music to Konata's ears. Even the shopkeeper himself was animated about the game, though his discussions about it with fans didn't particularly help the speed of the waiting line.

Glancing sideways to see Jayden standing next to her, she could see evidence of his own excitement on his features, with a hint of noticeable impatience. Kagami, Tsukasa and Miyuki had already left for their homes after being warned of the possible waiting time for the game and after seeing the mass of people inside the store for themselves. Meanwhile, the threat of rain still persisted outside, but no weather conditions were relevant when it came to the release of an anticipated game.

Jayden's eyes were checking every inch of the store as he waited and seemed to keep an ear out himself for conversations around him. He eventually returned Konata's gaze, smiling at her as soon as he did so.

"I'm thinking they'll have trouble keeping the servers running properly tonight," he said to her in a chuckle.

"Sh! Don't jinx it, Jayden!" Konata instantly replied with indignation. "Waiting for hours to be accepted into a server has happened to me before at release days – it's not a pleasant experience!"

"Huh. They rarely have problems with this game though, I doubt it's something to worry about," Jayden remarked thoughtfully, then asked with evident curiosity, "You've really had to wait to play a newly bought game? That sounds frustrating, I haven't had that happen to me."

"Hope, Jayden, that you'll never have to endure that," Konata spoke with the most serious tone she could manage. "But yes, it has actually happened to me before with an action RPG I bought, and I'd get an "Error 37" for the length of the day after spending so much time planning for the game beforehand."

"That sounds like some sloppily made game," Jayden commented, looking surprised from Konata's story.

"That's how it turned out to be, yes," she replied ruefully, unpleasant memories of the game coming back to her.

They moved a bit further into the line when the next person happily made his way out of the store with a copy in his hand, Konata glaring at him enviously as he did so. She sighed as she looked at the remaining people in front of them – luckily there weren't a whole lot anymore, but the shopkeeper sure was talkative.

After a minute or two, Konata had already begun daydreaming about the possible new weapons that her tank could acquire in the expansion, but her thought process was interrupted from hearing two very important words. She looked at the source – the couple of people in front of her and Jayden were vehemently discussing what she had just heard, visibly agitated about the prospect.

"Wait!" Konata spoke to them as she took a step forward, getting both of their attention and earning herself a couple looks of surprise. "Did you just say there are going to be flying mounts in _Emergence_?"

"Oh, yes, isn't it great?" the relatively short blonde girl replied, her brown eyes lit up at her with suspense. She was wearing a long-sleeved black shirt with the logo of _Surface Breach_, and so did her friend.

"There was a leak about it, you know," the taller raven-haired boy added with excitement, propping his glasses back on his nose. "They wanted to keep it a secret, but word got out recently."

"Did you hear that?" Konata turned back to look at an equally surprised Jayden, who walked up next to her in a moment.

"Yeah, but how would it work exactly?" he asked the others curiously, furrowing his brows. "I mean, the whole place is one big dungeon."

"That's what's so exciting about it!" the girl exclaimed. "With this revealed, the rumor that you can actually reach the surface now is basically confirmed."

"That would be incredible," Konata spoke, feeling even more impatient to finally try out the expansion with every second. "Lack of mounts has always been one of my main complaints about this game."

"I know, right?" the boy replied, nodding vigorously with a wide smile on his face. "Reaching any place too far from any subterranean village was just such a pain."

"Tell me about it," Jayden said, teasingly looking at Konata as he said, "I've had so much trouble catching up with her sometimes – I could have definitely used a mount then."

"Not my fault your character doesn't have a "Charge" skill," Konata smirked back at him, folding her arms and closing her eyes.

"Not my fault I'm not playing a raging blood-thirsty warrior," Jayden replied playfully with a chuckle, putting his hands on his waist.

"I know a good team when I see it," the raven-haired boy laughed at the two. He looked at the girl next to him and said with mock disapproval, "My girlfriend Kiriya always goes off ahead of me, constantly eager to jump into the fray and get herself killed as soon as possible."

"You know it's because of my necromancer's ability, you!" Kiriya said in a grin, gently smacking the boy on the arm. "So that I can do the dirty work for you as a phantom while you put the weakening spells and hexes on the enemies."

"Fascinating strategy," Konata remarked with awe, considering the couple for a moment before looking towards Jayden as she nodded their way. "A perfect example of team-work that pays off – maybe you'll try consider going with my plan next time we play, Jayden, and you'll see that it's effective."

"I'm not sacrificing my mage just so that you could be empowered from his death aura," he replied while shaking his head, a slight frown on his face.

"Worried that I may manage to succeed even without your character supporting me?" Konata smirked at him smugly. "It's cute seeing you oppose this idea so strongly every time."

"Well, I generally prefer ideas that don't have me dying in them," Jayden answered, scoffing as he looked at their fellow gamers, earning himself a laugh from Kiriya, who glanced Konata's way with amusement.

"Certainly an interesting strategy, but I don't blame your boyfriend – he's not a necromancer, after all, and can't return as a phantom and still play," she told her, gesturing towards herself.

"Oh. No, we're not together," Konata clarified after a moment, glancing curiously at Jayden as she did so, seeing him nod at her words.

"Oh, my mistake then," Kiriya soon answered, waving her hand dismissively, then looking up to the boy next to her with a grin. "Then you probably don't have matching armors like Kiyoshi and I do."

"You have matching armors?" Jayden repeated inquisitively, Konata raising her brows with intrigue as well.

"Why yes," Kiyoshi replied confidently, glancing at Kiriya with a smile. "In every game we play together that we can customize like that, we go for the same style, even if we don't always have the same type of characters."

"We do that when we play against each other too," Kiriya added as she returned his smile, then narrowed her eyes at him in mock suspicion. "Though when we do, I can never be too sure whether I win because of his gallantry, or if I manage to do it on my own."

"_When_ you win, that is," Kiyoshi clarified, pointing his finger at her knowingly, looking back at Konata and Jayden afterward. "It doesn't happen too often, is what I'm trying to say here."

"The important thing is that she wins," Konata said with a grin and a nod that she shared with Kiriya, who chuckled. Jayden had shook his head in the meantime with amusement.

"But the truth is that the tendency for that to happen has increased since we started dating," Kiriya continued, rubbing her chin thoughtfully.

"You've probably just been rubbing off on me and acquired my skills in the meantime too," Kiyoshi answered while squaring his shoulders.

"If I had acquired them, then I wouldn't have stood a chance," Kiriya teased back, making her boyfriend sigh in defeat through a grin. Konata couldn't help but grin at their exchange, nodding in approval of Kiriya's words.

Their playful banter was interrupted when it came for their turn to get themselves their copies of _Emergence_, the time having flown faster since Konata and Jayden had started talking with them. The shopkeeper had finished his conversation with the previous customer and was now trying to drag Kiriya and Kiyoshi into another one.

"They're certainly an interesting couple," Jayden commented to Konata, who kept her eyes on them in the meantime.

"Yes, they are," Konata soon answered, observing the couple in question, feeling an unusual interest as she watched them intently.

While the shopkeeper had gone to get more boxes for the game, Kiyoshi wrapped his arm around Kiriya, kissed her temple and then gave her an affectionate look that she immediately returned. Both chuckled as they seemingly teased each other about something, eventually receiving their copies of the expansion. The spark in their eyes was unmistakable, and it's something that they shared between themselves, palpable happiness on their faces as the couple of gamers looked at each other. Konata looked on as they began heading away from the shopkeeper almost instantly after their copies were paid for, both of them regarding the cover with intrigue, discussing it excitedly with one another.

"Konata, it's our turn," Jayden reminded, causing her to turn her head in his direction inquisitively and then look at the open path to the counter in front of them, the short bald shopkeeper nodding in their direction.

After the moment Konata eventually realized that their time has come to buy _Emergence_, she began walking towards the counter with Jayden in tow, throwing Kiyoshi and Kiriya one more glance in the process.

* * *

Sitting next to Konata in the subway car, Jayden performed one more thorough scan of the expansion box, reading the text and looking at the images with intrigue. Everything there was pretty vague – there seemed to be a lot of surprises in store for the fans of the game, including the rumors that he heard while waiting in the shop just minutes ago. He could not lie and say that his excitement hadn't increased even more, especially after buying the game himself.

He glanced in Konata's direction, noticing her silently stare at the cover of her own copy as she held it in front of her, leaning slightly forward. Her eyes were locked on one of the pictures displayed there.

"It'll be really neat to see what kind of areas there'll be once we reach the surface. If the rumors about this are true, that is," he eventually said to her with excitement.

"I'd imagine that they are," she merely told him in reply, not taking her eyes off her copy.

"Even the manga doesn't touch up on this issue, so we don't have an idea about this at all," Jayden continued, glancing back at what was written out in the blurb.

"Which is what makes it so interesting to find out," Konata nodded, sighing heavily as she put the box down beside her on the empty seat.

"We can get Kiriya and Kiyoshi into our guild and play with them too. They did give us their nicknames in the game," Jayden reminded her with an enthusiastic smile, only to see her blankly stare towards the empty seats opposite them. Surprised by her lack of reaction, he asked after a moment with concern, "Konata, is everything okay? I would've thought you'd be more excited after getting the expansion."

"I am," she soon replied, looking at him with an unreadable expression on her face as she added, "I've been thinking about something, though."

"Oh? What's on your mind?" Jayden inquired, putting down his own copy of _Emergence_. Konata kept her intense gaze on him, furrowing her brows a little, sighing again before she responded.

"You saw how Kiriya and Kiyoshi were, gaming and having fun playing together as something more than friends. Seeing them like that was a pleasant sight," she stated, pausing for a bit before she continued, rubbing her hands together, saying confidently, "I like the thought of that."

"What do you mean, Konata?" Jayden asked after a few seconds, feeling confused, unclear as to what she was telling him. Konata kept the unusually serious look on her face and tone in her voice in her reply.

"What I'm trying to say is that… I've realized I want what they have with you, Jayden," she firmly said, her words taking him aback, his surprise evident on his features. Her gaze was unwavering while his looked away for a while as he considered what to say.

"Are you saying you want to be my girlfriend?" he inquired, watching her nod in return, not seeming to be joking with him.

"Yes, I do," she confirmed, expectation visible in her eyes. Jayden glanced towards the window on the opposite side for a moment, taking that time to collect his thoughts. The need to reply soon didn't give him much opportunity to consider, but it was enough for him to search for any deeper feelings he might've felt for Konata to discover that there weren't any.

"Konata, I… I don't feel that way," he eventually replied, looking at her with concern, seeing her lips slightly parted at his answer.

"What?" she said, incredulity in her voice.

Jayden grew anxious, a worried frown on his face, his brows slighty furrowed. He found it difficult to keep his gaze on her own as he began to see the disillusion in her eyes, but he managed to do so when he clarified, "You're a good friend, but… what you're saying… it's not something I want myself, I'm sorry."

"Oh," Konata uttered, her now empty stare seemingly fixed on something behind him, her hands motionless for a while. It was a while before she looked downward, turning her body away from him slightly.

"Hey, are you feeling alright?" Jayden spoke worriedly, his hand having motioned towards her shoulder until he withdrew it in uncertainty. "I didn't mean to hurt you, but that's how I feel."

Konata still remained silent, lifting up her head to look through the window of the subway car, not registering the movement of people in front of her that had just boarded on the most recent stop.

"Konata, I—"

"Let's just… drop it," she eventually retorted, her voice somewhat strained, still avoiding his gaze.

"Okay," he replied, looking at her with concern as she grabbed her copy of _Emergence _again, her eyes fixed on one of the pictures there, but Jayden could tell that she was not really seeing it.

"Are we going to be fine, Konata?" he asked after a while with a hopeful tone.

He felt relief when he got a nod in response, though the sadness in her eyes remained perfectly obvious. He wanted to think of something to help clear the air between them somehow, but he was cut off untimely.

"This is my stop," Konata stated, already getting up from her seat as she said it, finally giving Jayden a glance, a hint of pain in her expression still.

"I hope we'll see each other later," he told her, giving her a soft smile as he gestured towards the game box in her hand. Konata only nodded at him again, then proceeded to look downward once more as she got out of the subway car along with a few more passengers, no sign of her usually energetic gait.

Jayden rested his head on his arms when the doors of the car closed down, already recalling what had just happened, thinking about what Konata had said to him. What she wanted was something he hadn't expected her to, and something he'd never considered. When he did as he thought it through, he couldn't see her in that light. His answer had been visibly disappointing, but he hadn't expected it to have such an effect on her. He wished there had been more time to talk with her, hoping that he would get to do so later in the day when she'd show up to play the game and when he had cleared his head in the meantime.

* * *

Back home in his room, Jayden was sitting in front of his computer, having already installed the anticipated expansion of _Surface Breach_. He couldn't enter the game yet, for he found himself anxiously waiting for Konata to finally come online. She was always quick to log in after school – most of the time before himself – and with the excitement she had for playing the game with him today, she should have already appeared by now. As the minutes went by, however, Jayden couldn't help but grow more conscious as to the probable reason for her absence.

He sighed as he leaned back on the chair, rubbing his forehead nervously. Any desire he had to try the expansion out was replaced with worry for having hurt Konata – there was no way she wouldn't be rushing to play the game unless he had.

Thinking about it after she had asked him to be something more for her, Jayden had only been able to see her as a friend, less than what she wanted to be. He couldn't lie to her about feeling the way he did, but perhaps he hadn't been as considerate of her feelings as he could've been. He was unprepared, and the surprise he felt from hearing her words had unnerved him. Maybe if he had approached it differently, she wouldn't have been feeling as saddened as she probably was now.

Jayden looked through the window wistfully, barely taking note of the ongoing rain outside. He was unsure as to what to do, but one thing that he was certain of was that he couldn't play the game, regardless of how excited he had been for it beforehand. For the moment, he could only continue checking whether Konata had shown up, but there was still no sign of her. He thought of calling her on the phone, but he feared that it would cause her even more pain – coming to the conclusion that she wouldn't want to talk with him at the moment anyway. Would she even want to hang out with him after this? Had he led her on to make her want something more? How could he spend time with the girls if she doesn't want him around anymore?

In the end, Jayden decided that he would distract himself from these thoughts by actually doing his homework ahead of schedule, making sure to keep an eye on his computer screen from time to time. There was still hope that the temptation to make use of the newly bought expansion would make Konata eventually appear.

She ended up not logging in that day, however.


	9. 3rd of June, 2013

**Someone Else**

**Chapter 9: 3****rd**** of June, 2013**

Upon entering Ryōō High School in the Monday morning, Kagami closed the umbrella she had been holding over both her and Tsukasa's head. It was once again raining outside – the weather still hadn't particularly improved since the weekend, and it was as cold as it was dark. The forecasts for the next few days had been rather grim too, much to Kagami's dismay.

She made her way through the school building along with Tsukasa, giving her sister a glance, noticing her sigh and slightly tense up. With a worried look on her face, she was clutching her satchel tightly with her hands while she walked. It didn't take long for the reason for her apprehension to become clear.

"Tsukasa, you needn't worry about your physics essay anymore," Kagami told her reassuringly, having guessed what her sister was anxious about while they reached their respective classrooms. "You worked hard on it yesterday – I'm sure you did fine."

"Thanks, Sis," Tsukasa replied, still visibly nervous, but a smile had started appearing on her lips as she looked at her sister. "I just remembered that it's our first class today, and that I have no more time to check it."

"You already did a few times before," Kagami reminded, returning Tsukasa's smile. "It's going to be better to have it pass sooner, anyway. We have a history lesson with Ms. Kuroi first, but I'll only get to hand in my math homework later in the day."

"Oh, yes, there's that as well," Tsukasa answered, her face falling in worry again, earning herself a light-hearted chuckle from Kagami.

"We completed it together, remember?" she said, beaming at her unnerved sister again.

"That's true, I guess," Tsukasa nodded, easing up a bit, evident relief on her features.

They eventually reached the end of the hallway where both their classrooms were situated – Kagami led Tsukasa through the door of 3-B as she usually did, wanting to see her friends before lessons began.

Once they were there, she scanned the room to find Konata sitting on her chair, resting her head on the desk as she slowly kept drawing something on her notebook, her eyes following the movement of her pencil. Kagami waved her hand at Miyuki, who was already on her own desk behind Konata, smiling her way in response. Jayden didn't seem to have arrived in school yet, for his chair was empty and he couldn't be seen anywhere else in the classroom.

Kagami and Tsukasa approached Konata's desk, the girl not noticing their presence until they were already standing around her.

"Hey, Konata," Kagami said to her cheerfully, looking at her friend's notebook to see nothing but random circles drawn on the paper.

"Morning, Kona-chan," Tsukasa greeted as well.

"Hey," Konata replied in a weary voice, glancing at the two sisters for a moment before turning her attention to her notebook again.

"Feeling tired?" Kagami asked curiously, to which she got a silent nod in return, the girl's focus still on the pencil in her hand as it slowly moved across the page. Kagami smiled at her as she teased, "I'd imagine that playing that new expansion late into the night has that kind of an effect. That's probably why Jayden isn't here yet as well."

As soon as Kagami finished saying that, Konata noticeably shuddered, the circle she had been drawing left incomplete, her pencil having made a rough line on the paper instead.

Kagami's teasing smile immediately fell as she saw Konata's reaction, proceeding to look at her friend's eyes again, noticing a subtle flicker in an otherwise uncharacteristic bleak gaze.

"Konata, are you alright? What's going on?" Kagami asked worriedly, furrowing her eyebrows with concern as she kept looking at the seemingly troubled girl.

"Kona-chan?" Tsukasa repeated, glancing at Miyuki's direction inquisitively to see her frown sadly in response.

Konata avoided eye contact with any of them for a while, turning the page instead and continuing to draw instead.

"It's nothing," she answered, a hint of irritation in her voice.

"Something's the matter, Konata," Kagami replied, standing in front of her and slightly leaning in her direction, trying to get her friend to look at her.

"I don't want to talk about it," she spoke in a heavy sigh.

Kagami kept staring at her, wondering what could've made the energetic and lively Konata to appear so unusually down. Whatever the reason for that was, she didn't like seeing her this way – she looked at Tsukasa and Miyuki, but they could only throw worried glances in her direction in response. Turning to Konata again, she saw her lifting her head a little and looking at something out of the corner of her eye in pain. Following her gaze, Kagami saw Jayden standing behind them in the room, apparently having just arrived there.

"Hey," he said, though not with the confidence that she'd gotten used to hearing from him. His light green eyes spoke of apprehension as he quickly shifted them from her to Konata.

"Jayden," she merely replied, observing him as he hesitatingly approached them, still focusing on Konata as he did so.

"Konata, you didn't show up in the server – are you feeling okay?" he asked with visible concern.

"Why shouldn't I be?" Konata replied as she shrugged nonchalantly and closed her eyes, though the anger in her voice was palpable. Kagami's gaze curiously went back to Jayden, seeing him gulp nervously.

"I'm sorry, Konata, I'll… I'll go," he said, turning away from the girls and heading towards his desk, Kagami looking at him as he did with confusion, feeling a sense of dread.

"Has Jayden done something to you, Konata?" she asked her friend, finally receiving a look from her in return, one of sadness again.

"I told you before, Kagami. Leave it alone," Konata replied with a sigh, staring at nowhere in particular. Kagami glanced towards Jayden to see him looking in their direction from his desk, quickly breaking eye contact with her, proceeding to rummage through his satchel for something.

While Kagami still wasn't sure as to what had occurred with Konata, it looked like Jayden was involved somehow. She could see how hurt the girl looked, and that whatever had happened was causing her pain – an aching feeling Kagami herself felt as she looked at her friend's sorrowful countenance. She wished she could get more out of her, somehow help her, but she wasn't letting her in.

The appearance of the physics teacher in the room put all intentions of talking any further with Konata on hold. Kagami had to go to her own class, acknowledging that as she nodded Tsukasa and Miyuki's way. She spared a moment to see that Konata had gone back to drawing in disinterest while Jayden was slowly preparing his things for the imminent lesson, a look of frustration on his face.

As she walked out of the door, Kagami sighed heavily, closing her eyes in her attempt to fight her growing uneasiness, a new feeling of pain that she had to overcome for now.

* * *

Jayden worked on finishing up with his sandwich as he looked at the empty yard of the school, wet from the rain that had passed during the morning. He was sitting on one of the benches that students normally used to either catch their breath from physical education or to simply watch. It was under a canopy that faced one of the goal posts in the field and most of the school building itself, which was what he blankly stared at while deep in thought.

Despite his efforts to the contrary, he still couldn't help but think of how sad Konata looked and how her mood had affected her friends. The incredulous expression on Kagami's face kept flashing in his mind as well, her own sadness evident in her slow, heavy gait as she had left the room. What had occurred between him and Konata was something he felt like he could've prevented somehow, but failed to do so at the right time. The dreadful thought didn't give him any rest, and not being there to see the girls' faces in person didn't help as he thought it would.

After he was done with his sandwich, Jayden put his hands on his knees, leaning to look at the ground, trying to clear his head, control these overwhelming thoughts.

What shook him out of his reverie were the nearing footsteps that he was able to hear, causing him to look to his right to see Kagami walking towards him from the entrance to the school's left wing. Her pace was a bit rushed, causing her long hair to lightly flow behind her, her summer uniform blowing in the cool wind, which made her slightly shiver in her approach. Her gaze was locked on his, a glint of anger evident in her sharp bluish eyes, her brows drawn together with a frown on her face.

"What's going on, Jayden?" Kagami said when she neared, her tone accusatory. She put her hands on her waist as she stood in front of Jayden, who had gotten up from the bench in the meantime without realizing he had. There was a hint of pain in her voice as she asked him, "Why is Konata so sad that she won't even tell me what's bothering her this much?"

"Kagami, I didn't mean for her to get hurt like this," Jayden answered honestly with as much confidence as he could muster, not looking away from Kagami when he uttered the words.

"Yet she's clearly depressed," Kagami replied, her eyes still shimmering with hurt and ire. She folded her arms, asking, "What exactly happened, Jayden?"

"She… she told me she wanted us to be together," Jayden retorted, catching the look of surprise on Kagami's countenance, blinking at his words. He continued after a moment, finding himself turning away as he recalled the moment, "I hadn't thought of her like that, and I wasn't prepared to answer… And I might've hurt her more when I said no because of that."

Kagami stood silent for a while before she replied, the intensity in her gaze slowly lessening, her voice more even than before. "When did this happen?"

"On the subway back home on Saturday," he clarified, sighing ruefully. When she didn't speak for a few seconds he added, "I'm sorry that this happened, Kagami – I know it's my fault."

"No, it's… It has really gotten to her, Jayden, and I hate seeing her like this," she told him, still frowning his way, her eyebrows furrowed sadly.

"I didn't want this to happen, or to get her down like this – it hurts me as well," Jayden said earnestly, finding himself looking downward. "I wish I could've reacted differently then, or to have had more time with her…"

After a moment, Kagami started slowly walking towards the bench behind them, sitting down with a sigh, silent once more for a while.

"I want to do more to help, but I don't want to cause her any more pain," Jayden spoke as he sat down next to Kagami, looking to see a thoughtful expression on her face, her anger having mostly subsided.

"I'll try to talk to her again," she replied, looking at him with determination. "If I can't do it today, then I'll keep trying. She needs someone right now."

Jayden agreed in a nod, observing as she collected her thoughts, her hands joined together, her arms resting on her knees. There was no accusation in her voice, but her brows were still furrowed as she stated, "You weren't prepared to answer Konata… but you still said no."

"I thought about it after she asked, but… I don't feel that way about her," he answered, returning her gaze.

"You don't?" Kagami repeated curiously, brushing the bangs away from her face as she looked at him.

"Before I answered, I tried to search for any feelings I might've had, but I couldn't see myself with her that way," Jayden continued in a slight shrug, his eyes staring into the distance as he recalled his previous thoughts.

"But you seem to enjoy playing games and spending time with Konata, and you're good friends with her," Kagami stated.

"Yeah, though… I can't say exactly why, but I don't feel that kind of connection to her," he clarified, leaning back on the bench with a sigh, glancing at Kagami to see her thoughtful expression again, a slight frown on her face still.

"It doesn't look like it's something that Konata will easily accept, however," she eventually spoke.

"I want her to recover, but I don't think she can do that with me around," Jayden retorted, sadly looking at Kagami as he added, "It'll be for the best if I don't… hang out anymore. I don't want to cause any more harm to the group."

"No, Jayden," she replied firmly after a moment, conviction in her eyes as she put her hand on his shoulder reassuringly. "Konata just needs some time – she may be feeling down now… but she'll come to terms with it eventually. You didn't intend to hurt her like this, Jayden, and she'll understand that herself, even if what you said wasn't what she wanted to hear. And I'll continue trying to get her to speak to me."

As soon as she said the words, Kagami nodded at him determinedly, a gesture that he soon retuned while keeping his gaze on her. Despite the turmoil he was still feeling in him, what she was saying managed to slowly relieve some of it. After she pulled her hand away from him, Jayden spoke, "I hope she lets you talk to her soon. I think you'll help her, Kagami, more than you know."

"I hope so too," she answered while looking at him, her frown slowly replaced by a trace of a soft smile on her lips that she kept on for a while. Then, sighing as she proceeded to look at the entrance of the school, she said, "I think that the last classes may have already started."

"I suppose we should head back," Jayden replied, exchanging another nod with her before both of them stood up and started going to the school building again.

Even if he could still feel a pang of remorse, along with concern for Konata, the weight on Jayden's shoulders as he walked back with Kagami to the classroom had slightly abated. He still didn't know if things could be made right after what had happened, but he remained hopeful. The worry in Kagami's eyes for her friend was still very much there, but so was a hint of confidence that he himself drew from.

* * *

Yet another wave of rain began pouring down outside a few hours after school had ended, casting a dark shadow through the windows in Konata's unlit room. She was lying in her bed, eyes glued to the first page of the manga she had picked up and held aloft with her hand, trying her best to take her mind off her turbulent feelings by concentrating on the book. As she turned page after page, however, the black and white pictures went by unseen, the text beside them unread. Just like trying to watch anime or playing a game on the console, her efforts proved to be futile once more – her thoughts kept lingering on the fact that she had been rejected by Jayden and that he hadn't felt the same way she had. What she had seen before, an endearing picture of affection between two gamers, she was denied from having herself.

The attempts of her friends to get her to talk before had been in vain – it caused Konata pain just thinking of saying anything, fearing that it would sadden her even further. There was a degree of shame that prevented her from sharing her grief too, derived from the fact that she had been turned down. Her father had tried to comfort her as well, but he hadn't been particularly sure in what he was saying to her, and his uncertain words of reassurance hadn't quite reached her ears.

Suddenly, in an outburst of anger, Konata tossed the book she had been holding to the wall, now finding herself sitting on the bed, a look of frustration on her face. Why had Jayden rejected her? Did he actually dislike being in her presence and hanging out with her, and had he lied about having fun playing games with her? Why would he say no if that wasn't true, then? He had been the one boy in her class that didn't ridicule her for her enjoyment in gaming and love for anime and manga, and actually shared those interests himself. Despite everything, however, he had never thought about being more than just friends with her, and when he did, he said he didn't see her that way at all. What was it about her that made Jayden think that way? Or maybe it wasn't her that was the problem…

Konata leaned her head forward, resting it on her hands as she contemplated, furrowing her brows as she did so. If she hadn't been the reason why Jayden rejected her, then it wasn't implausible to think that maybe he already had feelings for someone else. If he didn't, what he could have done was to at least give it a shot with Konata, even if he hadn't thought about it before.

As she thought about the possibility, she recalled the many days before that she had been around Jayden in an attempt to confirm her suspicions. Simple memories unfolded before her, and for one reason or another, she suddenly recalled the moment he had played a game with Kagami in this very room. They were both sitting right there – in front of the television screen during her birthday – and what she remembered now was more than a simple friendly match between them. The way he had looked at her, during and after the game itself, was different than how he regarded the rest of the girls, including herself. The image of those glances he had given Kagami materialized into another moment of him eyeing her down when he saw her a couple of days ago. His gaze had immediately gone to her upon entering the room, not anyone else, despite the fact that everyone had switched uniforms. Despite the pain revisiting those moments was causing Konata, she kept on discovering more of them, finding out that it was more than single occurrences when those signs appeared. Visualizing Jayden now in Kagami's presence, the attraction that he had for her suddenly became palpable – a subtle detail that she hadn't ever thought of this way before.

Upon realizing the significance of this, Konata might as well have discovered the reason for why Jayden had rejected her, but she didn't stop there. Delving further into it, she found out that he wasn't the only one sending those signals in her recollections. She saw Kagami a bit differently as well, in another light – how she continuously smiled at Jayden, the manner in which she looked at him, the way her eyes had a way of lingering on him more than anyone else. Images of Kagami blushing only when she was around him flashed in her mind too – it was somehow not the same as the occasional flustered reactions she used to get in response to Konata's teasing.

Apart from the subtle hints of attraction between her two friends that she had been oblivious about before, what Konata also began to realize was that she experienced a familiar aching sensation when she thought of Kagami having feelings for Jayden as well. Somehow, the image of her looking at him that way caused her pain too – that she saw something in him that she didn't in anyone else… not even Konata.

Moving to the end of the bed, stepping on the floor as she did so, Konata could only stare blankly at the wall on the other side of the room. She was confused in her sudden jealousy, feeling indignant from her unexpected desire to have Kagami regard her the way she did Jayden. Thoughts of her and him together should have only been hurtful because Jayden didn't feel the same way about Konata, and they were, but there was even more to it than that.

Why did she suddenly crave her best friend's affection? Just what did she feel about Kagami? Why was the image of her being with anyone else this unbearable, and the idea of her with Konata so strangely inviting instead? She had always considered her a friend and hadn't thought about her like that, but now that she was… it was not something that she found herself opposed to at all.

Konata sprawled on the bed again with a frustrated sigh, rubbing her eyes with her hands for a moment.

Just what did this mean? The fact that she thought of Kagami like that, realizing a deeper attraction for her, made her grow conscious of herself and what she was drawn to. As she let her thoughts wander further into desires that were foreign to her, ones that involved the feeling of Kagami's lips on her own and the warmth of her hand in hers, it became hard for Konata to deny their effect on her.

This newly found wish had been something concealed, not a thing that Konata had suspected to surface, and it took her increasing feeling of jealousy – now both of Kagami and Jayden – to be faced with it like this. As if the thought of them together hadn't left her distraught already, this subtle reveal of her still uncertain sexuality in the process did.

Standing up from the bed suddenly, Konata desperately sought to do anything else to help diverge her attention away from these troubles, for she could feel the way they already began to add to the the overwhelming weight on her shoulders. As she paced nervously around the room, her eyes registered the unopened copy of _Emergence_ on her desk, painfully associating the mere sight of it with Jayden's refusal to be anything more than friends with her. She quickly grabbed it and put it away in one of the closest drawers, deciding to play a different game instead, alone.

No matter how much Konata tried to run away from the distressing thoughts on her mind as she played on her computer, they eventually kept coming back to her, not giving her any rest – not for that moment, and not for the rest of the day either. She was so confused.


	10. 4th of June, 2013

**Someone Else**

**Chapter 10: 4****th**** of June, 2013**

In the early morning before the start of classes, Konata trudged through the active corridors of Ryōō, looking downward to the floor, barely noticing the students around her. She had come in school very early when none of her friends had arrived yet, and having left her things on her desk, she had immediately proceeded to take a walk around the school premises in the cloudy, but rainless weather. However, that was only able to distract her for so long, for her nagging thoughts had still threatened to occupy her mind. She had assumed that she'd be able to calm her head if she kept herself away from having to talk to either Jayden or Kagami, but much to her dismay, it hadn't worked as she hoped it would. Her alarming anxiety was still on the forefront, which kept her conscious of her feelings, as well as what she had discovered about herself the day before.

Having eventually decided to go back to the classroom, hoping that at least school lessons would provide the desired distraction, Konata was now nearing the still open door to 3-B. There were a lot more students around at the moment than there had been before, a good amount of time having passed from her arrival.

When she entered the room, Konata looked up in the direction of her desk as she started heading towards it, noticing that Miyuki had already sat down on her own chair. Her friend smiled at her meekly in a greeting with an obviously worried expression, Konata merely nodding her way in return.

As she closed in, her attention couldn't help but be drawn to the back of the window row, where Kagami and Tsukasa had formed around Jayden sitting on his desk and were talking to him about something. He saw Konata almost as soon as she herself glanced at him, curiosity now evident in his gaze, his previously serious countenance from the conversation dropping.

She still felt a familiar ache when she saw the look of concern on his features, which only worsened when Kagami and Tsukasa followed his line of sight shortly thereafter as well. Konata registered the same worry in Kagami's bluish eyes, subtly feeling drawn to their depth already, which made her turn her head away, fearing where that kind of thought may take her.

She went to her desk and sat down on the chair with an exasperated sigh while Kagami and Tsukasa had already gone to her side, both of whom she avoided eye contact with.

"Kona-chan?" Tsukasa merely said inquisitively.

"Konata, where were you? Are you alright?" Konata could hear Kagami's concerned voice asking her.

"I just took a walk around school," she replied with an emotionless tone while she prepared her school books for the upcoming first class. "I'm fine."

"No, you're still not," Kagami immediately retorted with incredulity.

"Kagami, I told you to drop this already," Konata spoke with irritation, yet still felt subtle pain from her inability to say anything. There was a distant desire to admit what was on her mind, but there was too much holding her back.

"No, I won't," Kagami answered firmly, her answer making Konata look up to her and notice the rueful look on her face. Her friend added with concern, "You are still hurting, Konata, and I understand. I know that it's not easy, but you won't feel any better unless you talk to us, Konata. Please, at least try to."

The conviction in Kagami's words and her tone was palpable, and as Konata took them in, she felt a clear temptation to do what she was asking, but it wasn't only Jayden's rejection what was troubling her anymore. She couldn't tell Kagami what else she was thinking and what was causing her unrest, for she felt binded by shame, as well as fear from her reaction and subsequent disapproval.

"It'll pass," Konata eventually said in reply, not believing what she was saying, breaking the brief eye contact she held with Kagami, who sighed audibly in frustration.

"Konata, you have to believe me when I say how helpful it is when you talk about these things with someone," she spoke, sounding utterly sincere in her words. "If you don't, you will most likely depress yourself even further."

When a few moments went by with no reply coming from Konata, who still couldn't bring herself to say anything to her, Kagami told her warmly, "I hope you at least consider it, Konata. I have to go to my classroom now, we'll be having a long English test."

"Good luck, Sis," Tsukasa said to her. Konata looked up again to see the two sisters exchange weary smiles between each other for a moment. Kagami's gaze was then directed to the end of the room, presumably towards Jayden as she nodded, disappointment written on her face. She then gave Konata one last glance before turning away to the door, walking by the entering science teacher, whose appearance prompted Tsukasa and everyone else to get back to their seats.

The lesson that followed, however, wasn't as distracting as Konata had hoped it to be either. She couldn't concentrate on the words of the teacher, her mind going back to what she had been thinking about before, and what Kagami had said.

* * *

Relief washed over Tsukasa as soon as the science class ended and the teacher began heading out the door. She had tried to keep up with everything in her notes, writing out as much as she could from what he was saying, and scribbling down the diagrams he had drawn on the black board as well. As a result, the cost of filling out so many pages in her book was the following exhaustion she felt, though the worry about catching up with the material had finally subsided.

The students began to stand up from their seats, some of them even heading out of the classroom when the long-expected breaktime had finally arrived. Once Tsukasa had put her book in her satchel, she glanced sideways to Konata, whose notes were still on her desk. She was still wearing a pensive expression on her face as she stared at the black board, appearing deep in thought. Seeing her like that was once again a reminder of the reason for Tsukasa's sombre mood and her growing nervousness. She couldn't help but fear that things between the whole group might not get back to the way they were before, not after what happened between Konata and Jayden.

Even before Tsukasa had gone to Miyuki with the intention of talking to her about it, Konata had already glanced back from her desk with a conflicted look, proceeding to stand up and head towards her after a moment, her gaze on Tsukasa as she did so.

"Kona-chan?" Tsukasa said curiously as soon as her friend approached her. She could tell that Konata was still feeling distraught, but at least she wasn't looking away from her this time.

"Tsukasa… Let's head outside," Konata spoke, an almost pleading tone to her words.

"Oh," she replied in surprise, thinking about whether she'd miss her sister coming back here from her English test. There might not be enough time for Kagami to visit their class, but if she did, she'd be able to join them as well.

However, Konata looked like she was just about to leave, having started to lean away from her when Tsukasa suddenly said with a nervous smile, "I mean, of couse, Kona-chan."

Given the fact that all attempts to talk to Konata before had failed, it was surprising to hear her ask that she join her, if not refreshing. It wasn't an opportunity Tsukasa wanted to waste by waiting for her sister, for she desperately wanted Konata to begin speaking with her again like she used to.

She stood up from her desk to follow Konata, who was leading her out of the room a bit quickly, the look on her face still speaking of a certain anxiety she felt. The girl quickly glanced towards the closed door to Kagami's class with clear apprehension in her eyes, one that remained there even when she eventually looked away to the corridor.

"Where are we going?" Tsukasa inquired curiously, though after seeing Konata's newly appeared irritated frown after she did, she quickly regretted it.

"Just away, Tsukasa," she told her wearily. "Nowhere in particular."

Konata remained quiet afterward, still leading the way through the school hallways. Her sudden annoyance seemed to slowly subside, however, and that was better than her recent lack of responses.

"Kona-chan, are you feeling better?" Tsukasa couldn't help but ask again hopefully once they had gone through the crowd of students on the first floor.

"I'm not," her friend merely answered with a sigh after a moment, then remained silent for a while again, her pace slowing down as they neared the entrance of the school building.

"You're not?" Tsukasa repeated sadly, unsure as to what to say, fearing that she'll drive her away.

"I wish I was, but…" her friend began, her eyes blank as she looked up at the cloud cover above them once they got outside – the weather was still gloomy, but it wasn't as cold as it was in the morning. Despite that, only a few other students had gone out as well, all clustered in groups of people talking animatedly with each other.

When Tsukasa and Konata started walking on the nearby street away from their classmates, the latter's voice sounded hesitant as she finished what she had begun saying, "There's just… too much on my mind now."

"About Jayden-san?" Tsukasa inquired with her brows raised as she walked beside her with crossed arms.

"Yes. Among… other things," Konata soon answered apprehensively, her gaze facing forward, not returning Tsukasa's own. "I can't talk to him yet."

"You're mad at him?" Tsukasa asked curiously, cautious with her responses.

"No," Konata replied as she shook her head, proceeding to look downward. Tsukasa observed her as she stayed quiet again, though her eyes had started regaining some of their depth, now flickering with unmasked sorrow. She soon breathed out sadly, "It's just… it still hurts."

"I'm sorry, Kona-chan," Tsukasa retorted with a frown, feeling Konata's own grief. When she did not answer, her expression unchanging, Tsukasa added, "He's sad because he didn't want to make you feel this way. He said he wishes to be friends with you again."

"I expected him to say yes," Konata spoke ruefully. "I was so surprised when he didn't."

"I didn't know you had any feelings for him," Tsukasa said honestly, feeling encouraged from seeing her friend slowly opening up to her. Konata proceeded to finally look in her direction, traces of her inward pain visible on her features.

"I do, and I thought he did too," she told her, furrowing her brows a little. "We could have had fun watching anime and reading manga all day, playing games together too, just like…"

Konata sighed after her voice had trailed, closing her eyes for a moment in another shake of her head before opening them again as she said, "But I hadn't realized…"

"Realized what, Kona-chan?" Tsukasa soon asked, noticing the thoughtful, confused look on Konata's countenance.

"That Jayden may already be attracted to someone else," she answered with a deep sigh, clarifying in a moment, "To Kagami."

Tsukasa's lips slightly parted as she raised her eyebrows in surprise from Konata's comment, who then proceeded to ask, "Isn't that the case?"

Nervously looking away from the blue-haired girl for a moment, Tsukasa tried to contemplate what had just been asked of her. Her surprise was more or less contained to the fact that Konata thought the way she did – while Tsukasa had already caught on the subtle attraction Jayden and Kagami seemed to have for each other, she hadn't considered it to be a reason for him to say no to Konata until now.

Whether Jayden actually had feelings for Kagami was still something Tsukasa could not tell for certain, but she thought she knew her sister well enough to understand that she did, at least. There were signs that kept saying that there was an interest somewhere there, often apparent when she was in his presence. What Tsukasa could think of now was how Kagami lingered on the door of their house every time Jayden walked them home, the occasional curiosity in her eyes whenever she glanced his way, or the blushes she'd get when being looked over by him.

The way Jayden seemed to regard Kagami, however, was proof enough that there was attraction on his part, as well – often, there would be a subtle contrast in his expression when he did. It was difficult to say, however, whether that was something more significant, and if Kagami realized it herself, for she hadn't talked with Tsukasa about it before.

She finally looked back at Konata, who still stared at her expectantly, making her realize that she hadn't answered yet.

"Well, I'm not sure," Tsukasa replied with a nervous smile as soon as that dawned on her, saying what she did out of fear from depressing Konata further. "I mean, there could be something."

"I thought about it a lot, and I believe she has feelings for him as well, and… that's something that is hard for me too," the shorter girl said, once again sounding unusually uneasy in every word she uttered.

Tsukasa looked at Konata curiously, letting her speak about what else was bothering her. While the sight of her hurting like this was not pleasant, she was actually talking about it, something that Kagami had told her sister would be a good sign eventually.

"It's not difficult just because of Jayden, but because of Kagami too. It's the reason why I can't talk to her either," Konata continued, stopping on the street for a moment, looking wistfully through the bars around the yard towards the school building.

"What do you mean?" Tsukasa inquired, walking up beside her, watching her contemplate before answering.

"I… This isn't making me feel any better," Konata replied, appearing frustrated as she furrowed her brows and frowned sadly.

"You can tell me, Kona-chan," Tsukasa said uncertainly, still feeling indecisive as to how to approach this. She asked in hopes that she'd get her to speak, "You are jealous of Kagami?"

"That's not what I'm trying to say," Konata retorted, sighing heavily as she did so, turning to face Tsukasa, saying hesitatingly, "What I mean is that… I think I'm attracted to her as well."

"Oh," Tsukasa uttered in a slight gasp and raised her eyebrows, not managing to conceal the fact that she was taken aback.

Konata was also attracted to her sister? Since when? What would Kagami think about this? If Konata thought of her as something more than a friend, then that meant…

Seeing Konata turn away from her with a worried look on her face, Tsukasa suddenly realized that she still hadn't masked her surprise, nor had she answered anything yet.

"Maybe this was a bad idea," Konata spoke with disappointment instead.

"No, Kona-chan, I was just… I did not expect this," Tsukasa was quick to reply nervously, finding it difficult to express her thoughts.

"You must resent me," Konata told her, still not making eye contact with her.

"No, I don't!" Tsukasa exclaimed nervously in a quick clarification, once again anxiety taking over her as she simultaneously tried to think about what Konata had said and what to reply, struggling to form the words.

"I just told you I had feelings for your sister, and from that you can guess that I seem to be attracted to girls too," Konata replied with a scoff, sitting down on the railing beside the bars, resting her chin on her hands. "Admitting it doesn't seem to be helping me like I thought it would, and I might just as well lose a friend in the process."

"No, I— I'm still your friend," Tsukasa spoke, smiling at her earnestly despite her nervousness.

"But you see why this has been troubling me today," the blue-haired girl told her. "I found out about this recently, but I feel like it's been there a while. I didn't want Kagami to know, she'd disapprove."

"She's your friend too," Tsukasa reminded, sitting down on the railing next to Konata, who was staring in front of her thoughtfully. "I don't think she will."

A silence fell around them for a few moments before anyone said anything further.

"So you have no problem with this, with me? After what I told you?" Konata asked with an earnest expression, having turned to look at Tsukasa, her eyes now showing surprise.

"I don't," Tsukasa replied earnestly, finding herself not feeling any differently about her friend. "I mean, you are still Kona-chan."

After her answer, Konata remained quiet for a while again, seemingly mulling things over once more.

"I guess talking about it does help… but I still can't admit this to Kagami. Or to myself."

Tsukasa observed the way Konata sighed after she said that, the hope in her gaze once again replaced by sadness as she looked down on the ground. Thinking about ways to comfort her or to say anything else that might uplift her proved futile; instead, she found herself just being there for her and letting her think things through and whatever else she had on her mind.

When Konata eventually glanced her way again, Tsukasa smiled at her once more with understanding, a gesture that Konata soon returned herself, for the first time in a while.

"Let's head back," she said in a shared nod with Tsukasa, both of them standing up and turning around to walk on the street they had come from, going back for the last classes for the day.

* * *

Back home in the Hiiragi household after school, Kagami sat on the chair next to her desk in her room, in the middle of writing her homework for tomorrow. Even though she was making progress with it, she'd often stop to think about Konata, reminding herself that she still hadn't managed to get through to her. She had tried a few times to do so today, but much to her dismay, her attempts had all been unsuccessful.

A good amount of time had passed since Konata had been rejected, but she wasn't showing visible signs of improving. If anything, she looked even more unwilling to talk to Kagami than she did before, and the fact that nothing could seemingly be done to give her a hand was frustrating.

If she could only open up to her, help her understand how she feels, talk it through together with her, things could take a turn for the better. The sight of her miserable was not something that Kagami could bear easily.

Suddenly, there was a soft knock on the door of her room, which shook Kagami out of her reverie, making her glance towards it curiously.

"Come in," she said, putting down the pen she had been writing with just now.

The door then slowly opened, revealing Tsukasa standing on the other side, wearing her favorite green hoodie.

"Hey, Sis," she greeted with an apprehensive smile, proceeding to cautiously walk into her sister's room. She glanced at the notes on the desk and asked, "You are writing your homework?"

"Trying to, anyway," Kagami replied in a sigh. "Did you finish with yours?"

"I can't bring myself to start," Tsukasa answered nervously as she crossed her arms, her face falling a bit.

"I know how you feel," Kagami told her warmly, nodding at her in understanding. "I'm still worried about Konata too. I don't know how long she'll be like that if she doesn't let us talk to her."

Tsukasa looked down on the floor after Kagami spoke, shifting her weight from side to side, gulping audibly.

"Is something the matter, Tsukasa?" Kagami asked with concern upon seeing how unusually nervous her sister was.

"It's Konata I wanted to talk to you about, actually," she replied worriedly.

"Oh?" Kagami uttered inquisitively, registering Tsukasa's anxiety. "What's going on?"

Still appearing indecisive, the younger twin slowly walked to the bed and sat there, facing her sibling while playing nervously with her hands. Kagami turned around on the chair to look at her as well.

"Kona-chan asked me to take a walk with her between classes today," Tsukasa eventually answered.

"She did?" Kagami asked incredulously, leaning slightly forward on her chair. "You got to talk to her?"

"Yes," Tsukasa nodded.

"Did she seem to be feeling better?" Kagami inquired, a hopeful tone in her voice. "If she actually decided to talk to you, then that's surely a good sign. It could help her start getting over Jayden."

"Well, she told me some things that… I'm still not certain if she will be mad at me for telling you," Tsukasa replied, looking at her sister with obvious hesitation.

"What do you mean? What things?" Kagami said, furrowing her eyebrows, now wearing a bewildered expression on her face. "Is that why you didn't tell me this before? Whatever's making you nervous?"

"It's… I'm just not sure what to do, Sis," Tsukasa answered, turning her head to the ground again sadly. "I just want things to go back to normal."

"It's okay, Tsukasa. We'll make it work somehow," Kagami smiled at her reassuringly. "But if what she's said to you is important, and you think it can help with that, you can tell me. Was it something about Jayden?"

"She is still hurting because of him, but it's not just that," Tsukasa replied, sighing heavily. "She said that she's not feeling alright because… she has realized she's attracted to you, as well."

Kagami furrowed her brows again in incredulity, what she heard causing her to blink, though her surprised gaze was still on Tsukasa's.

"What? Are you sure that's what she said?" she asked in an almost distrustful voice.

"Yes," Tsukasa spoke in a nod, a troubled frown on her face. "She was anxious about what you'd think… I think it's making her sad."

As she leaned back on her chair slowly and put her hand on her chin, Kagami gave it her best to clear her head and try to take in what she had just been informed, her eyes staring at the wall in the meantime.

Konata, her friend whom she's known for over a year, was attracted to her? For how long? Was this why she couldn't talk to her? She only avoided her after she had been turned down by Jayden…

"Did Konata say how long she's felt this way?" Kagami inquired, turning her head to look at Tsukasa, who had been observing her reaction.

"She told me that she only found out about this recently," Tsukasa explained, shifting her weight on the bed. "She… she also didn't want you to know because she thought you'd disapprove of her... if you knew she liked girls too. That we'd stop being her friends."

"Oh," Kagami uttered in response, frowning a little as she looked downward in thought.

This wasn't something that she had expected, but it was telling as to why Konata appeared so distraught, especially when she was in her presence. She could only imagine how such a realization would've affected her, and thinking about it, she understood her friend's reluctance to say anything to her.

"What do you think, Sis?" Tsukasa asked after a while meekly, still somewhat apprehensive, worry in her eyes.

"I'm surprised to hear this about her," Kagami replied in a nod, turning her head to the window, soon adding, "This doesn't change anything about what I think of her, of course, but it… it explains why it's so hard for her right now. If I had known…"

"It sounded like it really bothered her," Tsukasa spoke sadly. "And I told her I was still her friend, but I didn't know what else to say to her… I couldn't comfort her."

"You still did, Tsukasa," Kagami told her reassuringly, managing a soft smile. "You were there for her by accepting her, just like a friend should."

Tsukasa slowly returned her smile when she said the words, seeming slightly more relaxed than she was before.

"Especially after what happened with Jayden, though, it must not be easy on her at all..." Kagami trailed, then nodded at her sister, "Thank you for telling me this, Tsukasa."

"I hoped you'd know what to do," Tsukasa answered. "I just want Kona-chan to recover, Sis. It feels awful when somebody's down like this."

"I know," Kagami spoke in a deep sigh, brushing her bangs away. "You can see how it affects Jayden, as well. Even though I've told him before that it's not his fault, I know he feels guilty about all this, and I hate seeing him like that."

"He'll probably feel better when Kona-chan can talk to him again," Tsukasa retorted.

"I hope he will…" Kagami told her in response, her voice trailing off as she thought about him, remembering the worry on his features and the sadness in his green eyes as he had told her how sorry he felt. The sudden recollection pained her, making her shake off the image of Jayden miserable like that from her mind.

Kagami looked at her sister again as she said after a moment, "Konata'll still take this hard, Tsukasa. She knows I'm straight, but among everything, being reminded of that won't be what she wants to hear again."

Seeing the sad shake of Tsukasa's head in return, Kagami was quick to add, "Don't worry, though. We'll get through it, and we'll be there for her."

Her younger twin smiled at her once again, a small hopeful shine coming from her eyes. The two of them stayed in the room for a while in silence before Tsukasa eventually stood up from the bed, saying, "I will go give doing homework a try again."

"If you need any help with that, let me know," Kagami told her, the two sisters sharing a nod between themselves before Tsukasa left the room, closing the door behind her as she did so.

Kagami turned around to her desk again, leaning back on her chair and resting her head on her hand; her gaze was on the math notes in front of her, but it didn't register them as she contemplated.

There had been a lot more troubling Konata than she thought. It was no wonder that she had look so down in school, but the fact that she had actually talked to Tsukasa and admitted these things to her gave Kagami hope that she'd be able to recover soon. It still wasn't clear how her friend came to realize her attraction for her, but even now when she knew about it, Kagami wasn't yet sure how to help her.

As if Konata being turned down by Jayden hadn't hurt her enough, now Kagami had to do the same, possibly saddening her further. On top of that, being straight, she didn't know how Konata must've felt after having discovered that about herself, or just how conflicted she might've been. That's just too many things on one's plate for them to be able to handle without someone by their side.

However, Kagami wouldn't stop trying to get through to her, and she hoped she'd be able to help her overcome this difficult time if Konata let her in. She'd try to make it clear how much she's missed hanging out with her, how hopeful she was that she'd be able to talk with her again, and how important her friendship was to her.


	11. 5th of June, 2013

**Someone Else**

**Chapter 11: 5****th**** of June, 2013**

The clock was ticking as Jayden struggled to write out his answer to the last question of the history exam on Japan's Nanban trade period. Even with all the time he had spent trying to prepare, certain details and dates kept slipping his mind, making it difficult for him to keep to a coherent timeline.

The silence in the classroom usually helped him concentrate, but that was not the case today – his lingering worry for Konata was still there, which had also occasionally distracted him from studying for the test beforehand. Even all this time, she still hadn't shown up to play online, and Jayden couldn't be convinced that she was alright until she did.

Looking up, he saw that some students had finished already, proceeding to hand in their papers to Ms. Kuroi sitting on the teacher's desk. He also managed to catch a glimpse of Konata standing up herself, a look of indifference on her face as she skimmed through her paper. He couldn't help but slightly frown at the sight of her, still not seeing a large enough improvement in her mood. After what Kagami had told him over the phone yesterday though, he now knew just how much was going on in Konata's head, as evident in her unfocused eyes. While he learned that he was not the cause for everything that she was conflicted about, Jayden still didn't feel at rest, nor could he say whether he could attempt talking to her yet without doing more harm than good.

As Konata handed in her paper, there was an unmistakable look of concern on Ms. Kuroi's face when she looked at her student. Even if Konata kept eye contact with her teacher, it wasn't for long, for she almost immediately turned around to her desk, rummaging through her satchel and eventually finding her lunchbox. She started slowly walking through the door along with a couple of other students who had also finished the test. Before disappearing from the room, however, Konata turned her head to Tsukasa, who was still writing, and nodded at her, a small hint of a smile on her face as she did so. Having observed that from his seat, Jayden felt a small sense of relief upon seeing Konata's gesture – even if she headed out of the room to eat by herself, it showed that she was at least slightly elated.

After a few more minutes, the time was up, and whatever Jayden had written out was what he had to hand in, which he did along with the remaining students. Going back to his satchel to bring out his own lunchbox, he found himself instinctively turning around with the intention of going to Konata's desk, only to be reminded that it was empty. As he sat down on his own chair, he found himself missing hanging out there with the girls already.

In a moment, Jayden's peripheral vision was able to register the fact that Kagami had just entered the room, already making him turn his head in her direction. She had immediately looked at Konata's empty desk, worry evident in her conspicuous bluish eyes, her lips slightly parted in her stare. Her gaze then proceeded to land on Jayden's, holding it on his for a second before briefly talking about something with Tsukasa standing beside her. She then proceeded to walk in Jayden's direction, the pigtails of her hair lightly swaying behind her in her approach, her hand moving to brush the bangs away from her face.

"Jayden," she called out his name when she neared him, her voice soft as she asked inquisitively, "How did your test go?"

"It wasn't easy, but I think I did well on most of it," he replied in a nod, laying down the sandwich he had been holding in his hands back in the lunchbox.

"That's good, Jayden," Kagami said, a soft smile on her face. "The math class I had went well too. Thank you for sharing those notes on the phone with me yesterday, they helped a lot with my homework."

"It's no problem, Kagami," Jayden returned her smile, shifting in his chair to face her standing beside him, now with Tsukasa next to her as well. "I couldn't concentrate with studying on my own too."

"I was the same," Kagami replied with a sigh, glancing at her sister and exchanging a nod with her, and then looked back at him once more. Her face fell a little as she said, "Konata… she's left again. Did you try to talk to her?"

"No, I still couldn't," Jayden answered ruefully, shaking his head. "I'm not sure if I can yet, what she'd say if I tried."

"She's got so much on her head right now," Kagami retorted, sadly furling her brows a little, saying confidently after a moment, "I want to try to speak with her, but she keeps avoiding me. I'm not sure where she could have gone now."

"I can't say either," Jayden spoke, informing as he recalled, "She grabbed her lunchbox and went out of the room when she finished her test."

"Yuki-chan told me she saw her eating alone in the library yesterday," Tsukasa chimed in after a moment of silence, glancing between Jayden and Kagami.

"Oh," Kagami uttered, returning her sister's gaze. "Then she's probably there now too."

For a brief time, she wore a pensive expression on her face, the look in her eyes indicative of her contemplation. She turned her head in Jayden's direction again, nodding at him.

"If she's there again, I'm going to try to talk to her before the end of the break," she told him confidently, determination evident on her countenance.

"I hope you manage to," Jayden spoke, smiling at her, holding his gaze on hers as he did. "I know you'll be of great help to her, Kagami. It's only a matter of her letting you."

Kagami gave him a smile of her own after he uttered the words, one that reached her hopeful eyes that kept looking at his, the contact between them only broken after a good while. When it did, she turned around towards the door of the room, Jayden watching her until she was out of sight. He exchanged a nod with Tsukasa afterward, anxiety written on her face, one that slightly subsided at the look of reassurance he gave her, his confidence in Kagami giving her faith as well.

* * *

Konata was sitting alone on one of the more secluded tables in the mostly empty library, a wall of bookcases on either side of her, all of them filled with tons of reading material. She was resting her head on her hand, looking in front of her at nothing in particular as she slowly ate out of her bento. The countless books around her didn't interest her, nor did the few students who occasionally walked through her aisle.

She had been going here for the past few days to eat by herself, the library giving her a certain isolation during these lunch breaks, distancing her. Konata didn't feel comfortable doing so in the classroom, for she would inevitably be in the presence of Jayden and Kagami, both of whom she had still trouble facing. Her anxiety and shame didn't give her any rest yet, and not even here, away from them, was she able to relax because of her nagging thoughts.

Despite drawing some comfort from her talk with Tsukasa and being assured that she is still there for her, Konata couldn't help but feel conflicted. Her grief was being overshadowed by her desire to be able to talk with her friends again, for she hated being alone. But she wasn't able to let go of the thought that they wouldn't accept her again, especially after the sour note that she had left them in as well.

She didn't eat a piece of her bento for a while after being consumed by her fears once more, looking downward sadly in a deep sigh, the forgotten chopsticks still in her hand. No longer registering what was going around her while she brooded, what managed to shake her out of her reverie was a familiar voice calling her name.

As soon as she lifted her head, Konata saw Kagami standing beside the table she sat on, giving her a concerned look through furrowed brows. Immediately feeling nervous at the sight, Konata was only able to turn her head away from her, a degree of pain already setting in.

"Konata," her friend repeated firmly, stating as she pointed at the plate of bento, "You haven't eaten almost anything from your lunch."

"Kagami, don't fuss over me, I'm fine," Konata spoke, leaving her chopsticks on the table, still avoiding eye contact. "I just need some time alone."

"No, you've had enough of that. What you need is a friend, Konata," Kagami told her, her voice firm again, but not harsh.

She proceeded to sit down on the chair right next to her, bringing it closer to her and slightly turning it to face her.

"I know what has been troubling you," she said softly, causing Konata to suddenly return her gaze, feeling her anxiety growing after hearing the words. "Tsukasa told me what you've been worried about," Kagami elaborated after a moment, her expression soft as she did, her tone mellow. "And that you're attracted to me."

Konata's brows immediately lifted in surprise, her eyes going blank from the revelation and from having her suspicion confirmed. Even more apprehension began building up inside of her, fear from learning that Kagami had learned what she intended to keep a secret from her. Tsukasa told her sister everything after Konata confided in her? Was she about to lose her friend now because of her? Was that why Kagami was here?

"She told you?" Konata could only say, the shock evident in her voice, as well as a hint of anger from finding out that Tsukasa had informed Kagami about this.

"Yes, she did," Kagami nodded calmly, a soft sigh escaping her mouth before she continued speaking while keeping her gaze on Konata's, "I didn't know you thought of me like that. I'm straight and I don't see girls that way, but that doesn't have to change anything."

"It's not the same, Kagami," Konata swiftly spoke with indignation, her hands moving nervously on the table, staring at her food. "Now that you found this out…"

"Konata, don't worry, it's okay," Kagami was quick to reply after her reaction.

"No, it's not," Konata retorted with a shake of her head, eventually turning it away from Kagami. "Why did she have to tell you? To make you hate me?"

"No, to tell you that I'm your friend, Konata, and that this won't ever change that," Kagami replied in a sincere tone with firm conviction, the certainty in her voice making Konata look at her from the corner of her eye, seeing the soft smile that Kagami was giving her.

"You don't… have a problem with it?" Konata asked incredulously, furrowing her brows again in disbelief.

"No, I don't," Kagami shook her head as she said it.

"That I'm attracted to you, or that I'm…" Konata's voice trailed off as she hesitated, glancing away from Kagami again.

"Konata, there's nothing shameful in what you found out about yourself," Kagami told her reassuringly, the confidence in her words making her look in her direction once more. "I realize why you're afraid, but you shouldn't be. This doesn't make you any less of a person, and don't you believe anyone who says so."

"But… I'm not supposed to be this way," Konata spoke, putting a hand over her forehead wearily.

"Nothing about this is wrong, Konata. Don't let it burden you, or make you believe that you're somebody else now who has something to be ashamed of, because you're not."

As Kagami's words poured into her, Konata looked down to the table as she registered what she had said. Among her nagging anxiety, racking fear and pain, she slowly began to feel a subtle sense of comfort.

"If anyone stops being your friend after hearing about this, then they weren't your friend in the first place," Kagami continued after a moment, almost sounding indignant at the thought. She smiled softly at her again, putting her arm on her shoulder as she added, "You don't have to worry about any of us doing that. We're all here for you."

A short moment of silence followed between the two, in which Konata contemplated Kagami's words, looking at her eyes and the reassuring smile she was giving her. All of this couldn't help but remind her that Kagami couldn't be more than a friend to her… but it also made her realize how much that already was.

"Thank you," Konata eventually said to her, feeling a smile of her own slowly pull at her lips, seeing the mirth in her friend's eyes in response. Kagami leaned forward to pull her in for a hug, a gesture that Konata found to be so pleasantly comforting.

It still hurt that neither Jayden nor Kagami didn't feel the same way about her, but the weight on Konata's shoulders was a lot lighter than it had been in a while. She could sense her anxiety and worry gradually wash away, the feeling of loneliness subsiding along with them.

"I… I feel better," Konata merely spoke after she and Kagami broke their hug.

"I'm so happy to hear that, Konata," Kagami replied, beaming at her friend again, then nodding towards her food plate, asking, "Have some more appetite for that now?"

"Yes, actually," Konata answered, taking the chopsticks from the table. "I guess I should work on it quickly before the school librarian changes her mind about bringing in food."

"Well, if she does, you can always finish it in the classroom," her friend said in a reminder, nodding Konata's way, who soon returned the gesture with a smile.

Kagami sat with her for a moment in silence, Konata already realizing how much she had missed simply being in her company like this. She had been right – talking about what was on her mind with her had proved to be very helpful. Konata looked up from the food on her plate at Kagami again, regarding her for a moment before breaking the silence.

"You know… I can see why Jayden likes you," she eventually told her.

"What?" Kagami replied after a moment in confusion with her brows drawn together. Konata couldn't help but smile with amusement upon seeing her friend's perplexed face.

"You haven't noticed it, have you?" she asked her. When Kagami's expression didn't change, she elaborated, "He could've given dating a shot with me when I asked him, but he didn't, and I think I know why now."

"What do you mean?" Kagami inquired, still not appearing to be catching on.

"Kagamin, even you can be so clueless sometimes," Konata said in a chuckle, shaking her head. She gesticulated her hand to her friend and told her, "You don't see how he looks at you, or the way he smiles when you're around? He's clearly attracted to you."

"He… he is?" Kagami asked with her lips parted in surprise, the look in her eyes a mixture of disbelief and expectation. "Are you sure… you're not imagining things, Konata?"

"You really haven't noticed. I thought you'd be more aware of these signs," Konata spoke, amusement in her voice, grabbing another piece of her meal as she nonchalantly added, "Especially since you're attracted to him as well."

Konata observed as Kagami's gaze once again looked at her in surprise, then turned away from her in a moment, her lips still slightly parted. She held her gaze on the table while her hand had gone to involuntarily move across the length of a pigtail in front of her.

"I didn't expect you to be so surprised, Kagami," Konata eventually said to her as she watched her continue to staring at the table. "But judging by your reaction, I think we can agree that I'm not imagining things. Right?"

"Well, I…" Kagami's voice trailed off, her head having turned to look at Konata, a subtle rosy color in her cheeks had appeared in the meantime.

"I'll take that as a yes," she replied with amusement.

"I just, I haven't considered… I guess that I… You think he likes me?" Kagami rambled, the blush still on her face, the tone in her voice and the look in her eyes hopeful as she asked the question. Her reaction couldn't help but incite a laugh from Konata.

"I'm fairly certain of that, Kagami. Though he may be just as clueless about it as you were," she replied while smirking at her friend.

"Jayden and me…" Kagami simply said while looking at the other side of the library in thought, her gaze rapt, her lips having moved into a small, soft smile. The moment didn't last long, for she frowned slightly with worry when she turned her head to Konata again, asking, "But, Konata… how do you feel about this?"

"Well… it still hurts when I think about Jayden and what could've been…" Konata thought out loud, her eyes on the table as she sighed heavily, but then she proceeded to glance at her friend, the pout slowly turning into a smile again. "But I can accept that, Kagami. I can't change his feelings, nor do I want to stand in the way. I wouldn't have told you about this otherwise. Don't worry."

It was Konata's turn to put her arm on her friend's shoulder as she said the words, nodding at her reassuringly. Kagami soon beamed at her in response, her countenance mirthful once again, nodding back.

"So, what do you think?" Konata then inquired, turning her attention to the last few pieces of fish in her bento lunchbox.

"I don't know. I'll have to consider it, but… it's worth thinking about," Kagami answered with a smile, a thoughtful look on her face, her eyes once again fixed on something in the library.

Even though Konata already finished with her food, she remained silent for a while, watching her friend, who was deep in contemplation.

Thinking about Kagami and Jayden together wasn't painless, nor was the thought that neither could be with her, but it was something that she could live with. It was a thing Konata didn't want to deny either, for if it made them happy, she'd be able to draw some of that herself… as a friend to both.

After a minute or two, she and Kagami finally left the library, heading back to their classrooms together for the final classes that they were probably already late for.

While Konata still didn't feel fully recovered from her troubles, she was now on the right track to eventually getting there.

* * *

Several hours had passed since the end of the final classes in school, and from what Kagami had seen, her talk with Konata had definitely left a positive effect. The blue-haired girl had still distanced herself from the rest, but she had told Kagami beforehand that she simply needed a bit more time to process their conversation to help give her the confidence she needed. The look in her eyes had been optimistic, not nearly as empty or distressed as it had been before, and the weight on her shoulders had become visibly lighter. The sight had been especially relieving, and for once, worry for her friend wasn't the first thing on Kagami's mind.

Now, as she lay in the bed of her room, propping her head up on her hand as she stared at the ceiling, Kagami was wondering about the other thing she had talked to Konata before – wondering about Jayden.

After what Konata had said to her about him, what she had made her realize, Kagami couldn't help but have her thoughts drift to him once again. Except this time, when he was on her mind, she was aware of a clear attraction that she felt for him, one that she was sure had existed for some time, and yet, it had been subtle enough for her to miss before. There was never the question as to whether that feeling was there when Konata had brought it up, it only made her even more conscious of it.

As she thought of Jayden now, reflecting on past moments with him, Kagami felt drawn to the image of him. She recalled the striking light green color of his expressive eyes and his sharp gaze – it was one that sometimes made her blush when it was on her, just like the memory of it did now. With it, she could picture his long black hair and all of its dark green patterns with perfect clarity, the bangs of which often found themselves over his right eye. His pleasant smile appeared in the image too, for it was one more feature of his handsome face that sparked a certain intrigue in her. The way he had looked upon them meeting up that one day on the station suddenly came back to her, as well. She remembered his slow, relaxed gait, one that was full of confidence, and the clothes he had been wearing – the dark green jacket that always looked so good on him, and the black shirt underneath it, which had clung to his chest rather nicely.

There was a certain excitement from the thought that Jayden felt attracted to her as well, that he had shown interest himself – it was something that Kagami discovered she had been subtly hoping for in a while. The way he regarded her, how his gaze occasionally wandered over her – recalling those moments made color rise in her cheeks again.

Did that show a deeper interest from him? Did he have similar feelings about her? Was there truly a difference in the way he looked at her? She hoped there was.

Kagami's thoughts started slipping to images of her and Jayden together that her mind involuntarily conjured, providing her with glimpses of newfound desires. In them, she was being held in his arms, her hair was gently stroked by his hand while her own was caressing his cheek, her lips were connected with his. She could almost feel the smooth skin of his face, the touch of his hand on her hair, the sweet taste of his mouth on hers. She was suddenly conscious of the fact that she had closed her eyes as she fantasized, aware that she had lost herself in her imagination for a while.

She proceeded to lie down on her back, burying her head on her pillow, her eyes looking straight towards the ceiling, the wonder in her mind clearly written on her face.

Was there a chance for this happen between them? Could this become a reality? Would she and Jayden work together?

Kagami wasn't certain for now, but what she was sure of was that she wanted it to be possible. There was a certain longing within her for these moments she saw to materialize. Thinking about Jayden as a friend somehow wasn't enough anymore – the desire for something more was now prominent, and once Kagami had realized it, she couldn't push it away.

And when the rest of the day didn't go by without any thoughts of him either, she knew that she had fallen for him.


	12. 6th of June, 2013

**Someone Else**

**Chapter 12: 6****th**** of June, 2013**

As soon as the physics teacher finally announced the end of the class, numerous sighs of contentment filled the room, Jayden's own among them as well. He was quick to gather his books and put them back into his satchel, relieved after the conclusion of the unusually longer class – or, that's how it felt like anyway, for one reason or another.

The teacher soon headed out of the room, a few students who went outside following her as she walked through the door. With the classroom emptying a little, Jayden looked in Konata's direction, taking note of the fact that she wasn't among the ones leaving this time – instead, she had simply taken out her lunchbox onto her desk and opened it up. He couldn't see her expression, but that was soon amended as she looked backward at Tsukasa and Miyuki sitting behind her, smiling their way with a slight nod. The gesture seemed to encourage her friends to approach her, a conversation between them following shortly thereafter with the two standing around her desk.

Judging by the talk between them, one that reminded of the ones they'd have with her before, Konata definitely appeared to be feeling better already. That brought more relief than Jayden had felt in a while, even though he was still uncertain as to whether it would be okay to talk to her himself. Kagami had told him that he should try to, but he feared that he'd undo the improvement in Konata's mood somehow by doing that.

He took out his own lunchbox while thinking that through, revealing a sandwich inside that he had been looking forward to for some time. While still frequently glancing at Konata as he began eating it, he noticed that she had eventually turned her head his way, the look on her features unusually unreadable. Even if there was no frown on her lips this time, the illegibility in her eyes made it difficult to say what she truly felt at the moment. Tsukasa and Miyuki, who had sat down with her on her desk, followed her gaze to him as well.

Before Jayden could wonder as to what to make of that, Konata slowly stood up and started heading towards his desk, her step appearing just slightly cautious. Jayden put down his unfinished sandwich in the meantime, nervous from the thought of what she was going to tell him. She looked at him when she neared, her mouth pouting for a bit in hesitation before she said anything.

"Hey," she finally uttered, her voice sounding more like her usual self.

"Konata, are you feeling okay?" Jayden could only ask with undisguised hope in return.

"I'm better," she replied, a meek smile appearing on her face. A few seconds of silence passed until she added whilst looking down, "Look, Jayden, there's not much to say. I don't want what happened to ruin everything, nor do I want us to stop talking to each other."

"I don't want that either," Jayden replied earnestly, easing up a little after hearing what Konata said.

"I've accepted that you don't see me that way, and I'm fine with it," she continued, though Jayden could pick up on the fact that her voice wasn't confident in what she told him.

"I didn't want all this to happen, or to make anyone in the group uncomfortable," Jayden soon added, Konata's eyes on him as she listened, her arms folded.

"I guess it was unavoidable either way," she answered with a shrug, just slightly sulking in the process.

"Still, I'm really sorry for any pain I've caused you, and that I made you feel bad," Jayden told her with a reassuring nod of his head. "I'd be glad if we could be friends again, but if you need more time with this, that's perfectly fine, Konata."

"Well, you know it wasn't just that, there were other things bothering me," she answered, exhaling deeply again, briefly turning her gaze away from him. "But despite everything that's happened, and what Kagami's no doubt said, you still want to be my friend… and I appreciate that."

"Of course I do," Jayden spoke with conviction, looking at her earnestly, saying, "I'd be happy if I can, though if you're still not certain about it..."

He had an expectant look on his face as she thought, obviously still finding it somewhat difficult to speak with him. She eventually returned his gaze again, traces of her smile reappearing on her face.

"Well… we've been postponing playing _Emergence_ for a bit too long, haven't we?" Konata said to him, appearing more relaxed than she had been upon seeing him immediately return the smile. She added, "I've been itching to give it a try lately, and it'd be nice if the whole team was there with me."

"If you do, then I'd gladly be a part of it. I've been eager to give it a shot too," he replied mirthfully. The fact that Konata was thinking about playing the game was a definite good sign.

She glanced backward in the direction of her friends, and when Jayden looked that way himself, he noticed that Kagami had arrived in the classroom as well. The girl wore a hopeful expression as she stood next to Tsukasa and Miyuki with her hand on her waist, her lips formed into a smile too. There was a soft sparkle in her bluish eyes as she held her gaze their way.

"You can come eat with us again," Konata merely spoke after turning around again, nodding towards her desk.

"Are you sure?" Jayden inquired, for he thought there was still a hint of uncertainty in Konata's words.

"Yes," she answered after a moment with a sigh. "It's fine, I told you. There's not much time before Mr. Shinu arrives."

While Jayden still wondered whether there was any reluctance coming from Konata, what she had just said sounded sincere – so when she headed back to her desk, this time he followed her, sparing a second to pick up his lunchbox beforehand.

Despite any lingering troubles she might've had, there was a visible improvement in Konata's mood – the talk she had with Kagami must've had a considerable effect on her. It was a pleasant sight, and it was one that Jayden expected to see after hearing that Kagami had managed to comfort and reassure her, something he didn't doubt would happen if she were given the chance. Just as he approached the desk with Konata, he shifted his gaze to Kagami who had been holding hers on him, and beamed at her happily. She was already smiling back, pushing a lock of hair behind her ear when he looked at her.

"Is everything okay?" she asked with a hopeful tone, glancing at Konata, who had already sat down again.

"Yes," the blue-haired girl simply replied, taking her time to eat a piece of salmon before any further elaboration. "There are no hard feelings between Jayden and me."

Konata slightly tilted her head in Jayden's direction with a smile, who was already sitting down on a chair he had pulled close to her desk, as did Kagami.

"It makes me happy that we're all coming through," Kagami spoke, gesticulating with her hand before taking her chopsticks, her eyes on Jayden's as she said, "I've missed getting to hang out like this, together."

"Me too, Sis," Tsukasa replied happily, sharing a nod with her sister.

"It is as they say, 'every cloud has a silver lining', isn't it?" Miyuki added with a slight chuckle, closing her eyes.

"Well, I don't know about that, but my party in _Surface Breach_ will still need a mage," Konata retorted, turning to face Jayden again, even smirking at him a little. "Though I guess it wouldn't be too hard to find an alternative one, would it? Even in the guild itself."

"It might not be," he said, taking a bite from his sandwich as an excuse to delay his answer. "But… well, you wouldn't find somebody who's willing to give that favorite strategy of yours a try."

"You're not actually considering it now, are you?" Konata inquired in disbelief, scoffing a little as she worked on finishing up with the remains of her salmon, muttering, "You kept that card until you really needed it. Nicely played, Jayden. I guess."

"What are you two talking about?" Kagami asked curiously, turning to look at Jayden through furrowed brows, though she seemed amused even with her confusion.

"It's basically a tactic in the game that involves my character having to die in order to boost the rest of the party," Jayden quickly explained, already doing a slight shake of his head.

"That sounds like something Konata could think of," Kagami spoke in a chuckle, glancing at the other gamer before tilting her head in Jayden's direction again. "Well, I think you should actually give it a shot once. The results will show her it's better if she kept you alive."

"That's actually a very good idea, Kagami," Jayden replied with a smile that he gave her, turning to face Konata before managing to notice the blush that had started forming on Kagami's face.

"Interesting that you say that, Kagami. We'll see how this turns out," Konata spoke, her eyes shifting from her to Jayden for a few times before they glanced down to her food again. "Of course, that's assuming that Jayden'd do better when his character is not dead."

"This would still be a frustrating tactic for anybody since it takes away the fun," Kagami retorted, leaning back on her chair while looking at Jayden again, her lunchbox already empty. "If you can't fight yourself in a game like this, why would it be interesting to play anyway?"

"That's exactly right," Jayden nodded enthusiastically in response.

"Leave it to Kagamin to pick the most aggressive and straight-forward route," Konata spoke teasingly with a smirk.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kagami said with a frown on her face, one of her brows lifting up.

"It means that you know how to enjoy a game," Jayden told her, his lips pulling into a genuine smile again. Kagami's expression softened upon hearing that, her cheeks colored just subtly enough for him to fail to notice.

"That's only one way to interpret it," Konata chimed in after a moment, turning her head to look at Kagami, a sigh escaping her lips. There was a slight, odd hint of sadness in her eyes before it quickly disappeared.

"These games we often find ourselves discussing sound much more complicated than the ones I occasionally spend time on," Miyuki eventually broke the silence with a somewhat nervous tone. "There are no similar tactics in Solitaire and Minesweeper."

"Or those games in the malls… arcade ones, I think they were called," Tsukasa added with a nod of understanding.

"Well, they may look simpler, but I'm actually way worse at playing those," Jayden spoke with a chuckle after he finished up with his sandwich, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I'm not particularly good at them either," Kagami replied, smiling as she added with a gesture of her hand, "I guess that you just have to spend some time getting used to them instead of only playing them when there's nothing else to do."

"A gamer has to spend time alternating between all genres and learn everything from each," Konata said strictly, raising her index finger in the air. "Focus on just one and you stagnate in performance."

"And what if you simply don't have many of them to play on?" Kagami inquired curiously.

"What? Having at least one from them all is a requirement for being a gamer in the first place," Konata retorted almost indignantly, to which Kagami and Jayden shared an amused grin between themselves. It certainly felt relieving to see Konata show some of her usual self as they talked after everything that she had on her plate.

Their conversation was cut short from the arrival of Mr. Shinu, but even the disgruntled look on his face wasn't able to tamper with the group's uplifted spirit. Standing up, Jayden nodded Kagami's way with a smile, who had already began turning to head out towards her own classroom. She returned his gesture, brushing her hair bangs away as she looked at him for a moment before she left the room. Jayden then walked to his desk, sitting down and already taking out his things for the last math lesson before school ended for the day.

* * *

It was only a short while until they'd reach the Takanomiya shrine, as indicated by the fact that the subway emerged above the ground for a few moments, offering a view of the clear blue sky and the pleasant sunshine over the nearby buildings. A few stops would now follow until the vehicle headed underground again for the remainder of the journey.

Tsukasa turned her head from the window to Kagami and Jayden with whom she was travelling home, her hand tightly gripping a railing of the subway car they were in. There were genuine smiles on their faces as the two of them talked, which brought so much relief after everything that had transpired recently. The fact that Konata was already recovering was putting an end to Tsukasa's worry and anxiety, as did the sight of her friends happy again. Things were getting back to normal.

"You're going to play the game with Konata today?" Kagami asked Jayden inquisitively, the question managing to shake Tsukasa out of her reverie.

Her sister was standing right next to her, looking at Jayden hopefully after addressing her query to him. She was holding onto the overhead railing as well, brushing the bangs away from her face with her free hand while keeping her eyes on him.

"Yeah, I hope so," Jayden answered her with a sigh, elaborating, "If she says she wants to give it a shot, then she's already improving. And I suspect that after she plays for a while, she'll feel even better."

"I imagine she will, Jayden. It's great seeing her getting back on her feet again," Kagami replied, the two with Jayden sharing a nod between themselves.

"It is. I'm glad she let you talk to her, Kagami," Jayden spoke in response with an earnest smile that he gave her. "I knew you were going to be of great help to her. She'd still be feeling down if it wasn't for you."

"You would've done the same," Kagami replied after a moment, a noticeable blush on her cheeks as she ran a hand over a pigtail of her hair. Her gaze glanced away from his for a second while a soft smile had appeared on her lips in the meantime.

"I would've tried eventually, yes, but I don't think I could've succeeded," Jayden said with a determined shake of his head. Kagami looked at him again out of the corner of her eyes, her face still colored a little.

"I'm not too sure about that, Jayden," she merely retorted, similar confidence on her own countenance.

"Well, if anything, when we get to play today, I'd see about finally letting her test that gaming strategy of hers that she wanted us to try," he spoke in a slight chuckle. "The one that had me sacrificing myself all the time."

"If you seriously think it could help in any way," Kagami replied, smiling back in response to the amused shrug that he gave her.

The subway had gone underground once more in the meantime, the station that they needed to get off on already nearing. Tsukasa watched her sister regard Jayden while he ran a hand through his hair, glancing sideways to the message screen of their car that announced the upcoming stop.

"A lot of people seem to be leaving here," he said, turning his head to Tsukasa and then back to Kagami.

"Oh," she simply uttered in surprise, the apparent intrigue in her eyes as she had looked at Jayden replaced with surprise as she saw the message herself. She stated plainly, "We're here already."

With the stop only about a few seconds away, Kagami appeared rather hesitant, her lips parted a little, a thoughtful expression on her face. She glanced back at Jayden eventually, adjusting the strap of her satchel for a moment before saying anything.

"You'll, uh, you'd probably want to see if Konata's already online when you get back," she spoke with a slight nod, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "She might be eager to get started with playing."

"If she's feeling better already, then she could be," Jayden answered, the subway already slowing down, the people next to the doors preparing to get off. When Kagami herself noticed that, she proceeded to smile softly at Jayden again, a sigh escaping her mouth.

"Then I guess I'll be seeing you tomorrow, Jayden," she said, holding her gaze on his, doing so even for a couple more seconds after the doors had already opened.

"Until then," he replied, returning her smile, his hand slightly waving at her and Tsukasa.

"Goodbye, Jayden-san," Tsukasa chimed in as well, with Jayden nodding in her direction in response.

Along with the crowd of passengers, the twins left the subway as well, with Tsukasa following Kagami's gaze back at Jayden through the car window as they walked away from him. She didn't fail to notice the blush on her sister's cheeks when it became apparent that Jayden was still looking at her himself. When the subway was out of sight, Kagami proceeded to look downward for a moment in her walk, wearing a smile again, her eyes obviously mirthful. Well, maybe not everything was going to be the same as before.

She eventually brought her gaze to Tsukasa's as they walked through the station, beaming at her when she did. The crowd of people around soon dispersed, the sound of the underground train was now muffled, allowing them to hear each other better.

"I'm glad Konata talked with Jayden," Kagami told her sister happily while they climbed the steps out of the underpass. "It mustn't have been the easiest thing for her to do, but it's paying off for them, and the rest of us as well."

"Me too, Sis, it's good that you encouraged her," Tsukasa replied joyfully with a nod. "Kona-chan eased up when we talked today in school, too."

"Yes, she did," Kagami agreed. "Hanging out together with everyone must be as comforting to her as it is to us."

"I really missed getting to do so," Tsukasa spoke, now walking beside her sister on the streets of their district, the warm gleam of the sun on their faces, the light pleasant wind blowing their hair a little. Tsukasa added, "And getting back to gaming will probably help Kona-chan get used to it once more."

"I hope it will. You could see that she was clearly excited about it already," her sister answered, her face turning away from her afterward, forward to face the street as she smiled, saying, "Jayden was taking everything really hard too. It hurt when he was so upset, and it's such a relief seeing that he isn't anymore, and that he can relax again."

"Jayden-san was very concerned," Tsukasa added, watching Kagami's silent nod, her gaze still lost somewhere in front of them.

Tsukasa could tell from the way her twin quietened for a while, as well the smile that stayed on her lips when she did, that she was still thinking about Jayden. There was no doubt that she felt something for him any longer – what was previously only an assumption was proved even further by the way she had been around him today. Tsukasa looked down to the ground for a bit, glancing back at Kagami only after she had made up her mind to ask her about it.

"Do you like him, Sis?" she inquired, breaking Kagami's train of thought, causing her to return her gaze a bit surprisingly. Her mouth had slightly parted, but then formed a smile again when she responded a few seconds later.

"Is it that obvious?" she asked with a chuckle, the blush on her face reappearing. "Or has Konata been telling on me?"

The younger sister beamed at her, closing her eyes as she answered, "I guess it just shows. You were thinking about him just now."

"Yes, I was," Kagami soon replied with a sigh, looking forward again, brushing the bangs of her hair away with her hand. "Talking with Konata before… it helped me realize my feelings for him. I guess I hadn't really thought about it before."

"I suspected that there might be something that you felt for him for a while..." Tsukasa said with slight hesitation, watching Kagami's contemplative expression.

"I thought I'd talk to you about it… but I still wasn't certain about it at the time. About him," Kagami replied, keeping her gaze in front of them for now.

"But now you are?" Tsukasa inquired curiously, her sister nodding at her words. After a few seconds of silence, she spoke again, "I believe he likes you as well, Sis."

"You think so too?" Kagami inquired excitedly, turning her head to Tsukasa again, hope evident in her eyes. She proceeded to look away in thought, scrunching her brows a little, eventually saying, "If he does… do you think he should have said something by now?"

"I don't know," Tsukasa replied, thinking for a while herself, adding in a bit with a laugh, "Maybe he's just being a boy."

Kagami briefly stayed silent once more as they walked through one of the most crowded parts of Takanomiya shrine near the archway, the chatter of people around deafening everything around. When the sounds of excitement grew weaker as the two sisters moved further away, Kagami voiced her thoughts to Tsukasa, looking up at the sky as she did.

"So if he has feelings for me… you're saying he's afraid to say anything? Or… well, if he does, maybe he just isn't certain of them yet either?"

"I guess that's possible too," Tsukasa retorted, taking note of the fact that Kagami went quiet again in thought. She decided to ask eventually, "How do you feel about it, Sis?"

"I… I'm not sure yet," Kagami soon answered, parting her lips while she contemplated. "I'm attracted to him a lot, but I don't know if we can get together… and whether he'd want to, anyway. If we do, I want it to work out…"

While Kagami's voice trailed off, the look of consideration on her features didn't waver. Her eyes stared ahead, subtly gleaming, showing off the deep thought that was going on inside, while her mouth remained slightly open. She was walking just a bit slower than usual, one of her hands holding the strap of her satchel while the other swayed freely.

Even if Tsukasa had decided to leave her sister to her thoughts for a moment, she was just about to remind her that the keys to their house were on her when Kagami eventually did take them out to open the door they were now standing next to.

"What do you think about this, Tsukasa?" Kagami proceeded to ask with an earnest expression as she turned to faced her.

"Oh," Tsukasa uttered before replying in a moment with a smile, "It's your choice, Sis. You have time to decide what you want to do, and if being with Jayden-san would make you happy."

"I'll just have to consider it more," Kagami replied in a confident nod while returning her smile, blushing a little before adding, "It's not like thinking about him is a bother anyway."

"It doesn't seem to be that way," Tsukasa answered joyfully, the two of them now walking together through the courtyard of their household.

Despite the fact that Kagami was still working on neatly taking the contents out of her satchel as they got home, it was somehow obvious that she still had Jayden on her mind again already. Regardless of what exactly her thoughts were, it was clear that she was deeply smitten.

* * *

Sitting in front of the desk in her room, slightly twirling the pen in her hand as she looked at the English class notes in front of her, Kagami was supposed to learn the words on the paper and the way they were written for homework tomorrow.

While she would eventually get round to doing that, she couldn't help but be reminded of Jayden instead, particularly the times when he'd help her with speaking the language. It was still embarrassing to think about the trouble she'd have with some of the words, and the amount of tries that were required to decently pronounce them. He was always patient with her when it came to that, but even now, she remembered his occasional teasing smile when he listened to her talking in English, a reaction she didn't mind at first, and one that she found out she liked with time. The fond memories made her smile herself, and it wasn't long before her thoughts once again revolved solely around him from that point on.

Kagami looked through the window of her room, watching the blue late afternoon sky above, leaning back on her seat. She rested her chin on the back of her right hand, while her left one laid on the arm of the chair, still lightly holding the pen. Her eyes were locked on one of the passing clouds, her mouth still a bit parted from the soft sigh she had just let out.

She remembered how nice it had felt seeing Jayden this joyful again, the way the sight of him like that made her happy herself. She hadn't realized the extent to which it had pained her seeing him hurting as well. While she would've had the same effect otherwise, she knew it was particularly strong because of how much she found herself caring for him, as well as her newfound affection.

These thoughts, however, led to a question she had been asking herself for a while. Now, aware of her feelings for him, her attraction… what would she do with it? She was aware of the fact that she wanted to act on it somehow, and there was also the desire for Jayden to feel the same way about her. But could she see the two of them working together as a couple?

Thinking about it, there were a lot of things about him that she found herself being drawn to in the first place. It didn't take long to recall how considerate he had been of her feelings when Konata inadvertently offended her, how careful he had been with her, and the strength that he showed when he stood up for her. Another thing about him was that he was responsible about his homework even though he sometimes lacked the desire to do it. He was willing to assist her with anything she might have trouble with in school, even if he completely understood it himself. Seeing the way he beat himself over what had happened with Konata showed her how much he was concerned for his friends as well, despite the fact that he wasn't sure how to help then.

Her feelings for him had to stem from a lot of things like that – things that she found herself thinking about with apparent fondness. He was something else… but what about her? Was she somebody who Jayden would want to be with, even if there truly was a mutual attraction? The dreamy, hopeful look in her eyes that still stared at the sky didn't waver as she thought about it.

Kagami was told she had the tendency to be rather outspoken for a girl, maybe too hard-headed… would that be something that could drive him away from her? Her friends had teased her about it, but she didn't remember him doing so… maybe it's not something that bothered him… she couldn't be sure about it, however. Would he want to change that about her?

She also knew she wasn't the best at most household chores, and couldn't cook particularly well… he didn't know this about her now, but surely he'd expect her to be good at these things, wouldn't he? What would his reaction be if he learned that she wasn't? It may end up being something that she'd find herself needing to work on.

If what she hoped for was true, however, and he had feelings for her too… what if he couldn't even realize them and didn't approach her? If she waited, it would surely be too late to do anything about it after a certain point. What would he think if she said something instead first?

Maybe, if they got together, they could make it work regardless of these things – perhaps there could be some kind of a compromise between them. Jayden had always been understanding with her – it wasn't too much to hope that he would continue being that way if they got together too. The thought was enough for her to conjure up images of him and her again, and she found them just as desirable as she had before. Something told her they would be able to make this real; a hope inside her kept saying to her that the two of them together didn't have to exist purely in her imagination. Even if they couldn't, in the end, for one reason or another… the risk was still certainly worth taking. Jayden was a great friend to her… but now, that served to remind her that she wanted more than that.

The things she was imagining – moments of them holding hands as they walked, or him putting his arm around her, keeping her close to him – she was even more willing to find out if they could become a reality now. Nothing could be said with certainty yet, but in her mind's eye, they did work together… was it too much to hope that it could really happen?

After spending a little more time thinking about that, she finally found herself managing to concentrate enough to at least finish the homework she had to do for tomorrow. It wasn't long before she completed it when her thoughts drifted to her and Jayden once more, finding it quite difficult to prevent that from happening anymore.


	13. 8th of June, 2013

**Someone Else**

**Chapter 13: 8****th**** of June, 2013**

In the middle of the active station in the early Saturday morning, Kagami and Tsukasa waited for the arrival of the subway, the two of them standing next to each other behind the safety line. The message board overhead said that the transport was only a minute away, which had prompted several people around them to stand up from their seats in expectation as well.

Kagami heard Tsukasa's sudden sigh of contentment beside her, causing her to turn her head in her direction, noticing the happy smile that the girl was giving her.

"It's finally the end of the week," her sister told her with an uplifted tone. "One more wave of tests is over, too."

"Don't forget the homework that we had to do for at least a few subjects," Kagami spoke in agreement, smiling back at Tsukasa.

"Normally I'd be nervous until the results come in, but now I'm just relieved that we're done with them," Tsukasa replied.

"We don't have anything to do for Monday either," Kagami nodded joyfully in response, adjusting the strap of her satchel. "Even if we take school work out of the way, it was still rough this week."

"It was," the younger twin agreed, slightly shaking her head in remembrance, but then she proceeded to close her eyes in mirth. "Hopefully we have nice moments to look forward to now."

"I hope so too…" Kagami's voice trailed off in her answer while she watched the newly appeared subway quickly closing in, letting out an almost deafening noise in its wake.

Most people around already clustered among one another next to the safety line, patiently waiting for the doors of the cars to open and for the other passengers to leave. Despite the fact that the crowd was considerable, there wasn't much in the way of chatter, for most looked as if they travelled alone to work, or in some cases school.

Soon, Kagami found herself leading Tsukasa into the largely vacant car which was currently being slowly filled from all available doors. As she inspected the seats around them, wondering as to where they should sit, Kagami's eyes instantly registered an all too familiar figure sitting in the distance. It was of a person who had almost completely taken over her thoughts lately, the object of her continuously growing affection. There was a newspaper in his hands as he read the page it was opened on, the bangs of his hair obscuring his eyes from view, while a set of white plugs hung from his ears. She simply kept on looking at him until the doors of the subway closed, the sound snapping her back to the situation. She quickly turned around to face Tsukasa, who seemed to wait for her to sit down somewhere.

"Hey, Jayden's over there," Kagami told her, nodding the boy's way to show her his location.

"Oh," Tsukasa uttered in surprise as she looked in his direction, and then returned the nod after a moment with a smile.

After that, Kagami wasted no time heading towards Jayden with her sister in tow, her hand taking hold of any railing nearby, for the subway was already in transit again. Even with the new people on board, there were still a lot of empty seats around, including those next to Jayden himself.

Kagami was just about to greet him upon nearing his seat when he looked up to her from the newspaper, apparently having noticed her presence already. He immediately gave her his endearing soft smile that she couldn't help returning, while his lustrous green eyes somehow kept her unwavering gaze on his for a few seconds. The connection was only broken when his hands put down the newspaper in front of him and took the plugs out of his ears.

"Hey," he simply said to her and Tsukasa then, his voice sounding infectiously joyous.

"Morning, Jayden-san," Tsukasa answered mirthfully.

"Hey, Jayden," Kagami replied next, her hand pushing back a lock of hair behind her ear in her greeting.

"It's a pleasant surprise stumbling upon you here again," he spoke in a soft tone, and then gestured for them to sit beside him while adding, "Nothing interesting on the newspaper today anyway, but I suppose that's always a good thing."

Kagami was the one to sit right next to him, brushing the bangs away from her face before doing so, preparing to place her satchel on her lap. It wasn't long before she was on the bench when she grew aware of the proximity between her and Jayden, her arm having almost brushed against the sleeve of his white button-up shirt. Being conscious of their sudden closeness gave her a bit of pause before she was able to reply.

"Well, uh, you can always give Sudoku a try. It's usually on the last page. You know, another way to help pass the time," she said eventually, her hands working on slightly readjusting the position of her satchel on her lap for no particular reason.

"I would've if I had an idea on how to play it," Jayden replied in a chuckle, his pleasant laugh making her turn her head away from her satchel towards him again, her gaze locking with his. Were there always this many shades of green in his eyes?

"You don't know how to play Sudoku?" Kagami soon asked him curiously when she managed to shake herself out of her reverie, her hand having gone to run along the length of a pigtail of her hair. She glanced away from him for a moment after she realized she had been staring into his eyes.

"When I see a game with this many numbers, it just reminds me of math, so I stay away," he answered her with a light shrug of his shoulders.

"Thank goodness it doesn't have anything to do with math. Sudoku is actually very fun," Tsukasa chimed in cheerfully with a nod.

"It's not difficult, Jayden – there are no equations or anything," Kagami added with a playful smile, slightly gesticulating with her hand in his direction. "I could teach you if you want."

"I guess that's the impression I had of the game," Jayden spoke, beaming back at Kagami with amusement. He slightly tilted his head her way when he added, "I just might take you up on your offer sometime. Until then, the songs from my player will have to do."

"But you always listen to that player," Kagami stated with a heartfelt chuckle, finding herself curiously inquiring after a moment, "What music do you have on it, actually?"

"At least a few kinds, since there's a lot of space on it," Jayden answered, pulling it out from the chest pocket of his shirt, holding it out towards her with his hand, his thumb pressing on a little button above to activate it. "I like listening to mellow electronic music most, though. I often have such songs running to relax me when I'm travelling," he elaborated, browsing through a list of folders on the screen.

"I don't think I've listened to a lot of electronica," Kagami spoke, slightly furrowing her brows as she attempted to recognize any name of a group on the device. "I mostly like pop music, but there haven't been any new interesting songs lately."

"Ayu released a new album a while ago, but Sis and I were disappointed," Tsukasa added with a shake of her head. "We both agree that her older ones are better."

"The songs I have here are somewhat old too," Jayden retorted while still looking at the player until he stopped scrolling down the song list. He glanced at Kagami and then at Tsukasa after a second, asking them, "Would you like to give one of these a shot? It's a favorite song of mine."

"Oh," Kagami uttered initially before nodding with agreement. "Yes, I want to, Jayden."

As she said that, Jayden went on to lightly place the player on her palm, the fingers of his hand briefly coming into contact with hers. The touch made her tremble ever so slightly, the warmth she felt from the short connection catching her off-guard. When he pulled away, she found herself wishing that he had lingered a little while more. Realizing that, she wasn't able to fight the blush from appearing on her cheeks, so she turned her head to face Tsukasa and give her the other earplug as the song started playing.

It began as a simple, soft beat, lightly skipping in a slow, but pleasantly rhythmic succession. While it was still faint, there was a certain weight to it, and it became slightly more powerful with each of its entrancing skips. That was eventually joined by a mellow, distant, mystical ring, which started off quiet itself before it grew in intensity as the song went along. The two tracks soon fell into a distinct harmony, the smooth voice of a woman who had just started singing in English somehow bringing them together.

The subtle connection of the two tracks now ran in the background, the singer gently uttering the soft lyrics of the captivating song. Unaware of it, Kagami had started slowly rocking her head a little in accordance with the rhythm, her eyes locked on the empty bench opposite her. She could feel that Jayden beside her was watching her listen to the song, but she was still too much into it to say anything.

The increasing strength of the beat somehow diminished when the woman stopped singing for a moment, the pleasant background ring growing quieter, too. It took for her voice to return, as well as a few more notes of the song to bring back the power of the enchanting rhythm. The harmonious connection of electronica continued even when it was all that was left again, strongly resonating on its own. It was such a pleasant, melodic unison that Kagami couldn't help but smile to, briefly glancing in Jayden's direction to see a similar expression on his countenance as well.

It wasn't long before the sounds of the song became more and more distant, resulting in the beat and its accompanying ring slowly fading together. The effect was relaxing, and yet, at the same time… it was somehow stirring. She turned her head back at Jayden, her eyes involuntarily lingering on the sight of him, and it was his voice that brought her back to reality.

"What do you think?" he asked expectantly, the question making Kagami remember herself.

"It's a very powerful song…" she could only reply for the moment, slowly taking out her earplug in the process while looking at him with a smile, adding sincerely, "I really like it. It's entrancing."

"It sounded mystical," Tsukasa simply spoke with a nod, having put down the cable herself.

"I like listening to it, it's very soothing," Jayden told them in response, then gestured in the direction of the player with his hand, saying, "If you're interested, there are a lot of songs similar to this one in the same folder."

"You've got a vast collection of these," Kagami observed when she scrolled through the list, having seen the way Jayden used the device and mimicked the movement with her thumb. "There are so many artists here that I don't recognize, all of them foreign," she observed.

"If you want, you can borrow it for a bit," Jayden said, his suggestion making Kagami look at him inquisitively. He clarified, "You can listen through these songs and write down the names of the ones you like, and you can download them from somewhere later on."

"It's very nice of you to offer, but… how will you survive without this player, Jayden?" Kagami asked, grinning at him teasingly.

"I think I'll manage somehow," he retorted with amusement, the pleasant sound of his chuckle widening her smile. He then shook his head with certainty and waved his hand dismissively, saying, "Don't worry about it."

"Well, the one you showed us was really nice, and I'd like to see if there are more…" Kagami's voice trailed off in her response while she glanced back at the interface of the player. In a moment, she looked back at Jayden again, uttering, "If you're certain about this, then thank you."

"It's no problem, Kagami," Jayden answered, pushing back the fringe that had fallen across his right eye. Before she found herself losing herself in his gaze again, Kagami turned her attention to the player again before it happened, the blush on her face still very much there.

The rest of the ride on the subway was spent with her and Tsukasa talking with Jayden about their favorite music, with Kagami learning more about his preferred songs. She could almost hear the beat of the one she had listened to before as they spoke. Time, however, flew by way too quickly, and soon the group found themselves getting up from their seats to leave at the central station. That unfortunately put an end to her proximity to Jayden, something she couldn't help but be conscious of when they started walking out of the station. It wouldn't be long before they reached school and they'd have to go to their separate classrooms either.

Kagami quickly shook her head at the thought. This was silly – they'd meet up again between lessons anyway, wouldn't they? Surely, her mind was acting like this was the last time they'd see each other for the day or something.

When the time came for her to leave for her classroom, however, and when her lesson began, she couldn't shake off a certain feeling subtly nagging her. She really did miss him already.

* * *

A few hours after school had ended, Kagami found herself lying on her back in the bed of her room, the window open as it let in the fresh, pleasant air from outside. It was far enough in the day for the perfectly clear sky to be in a somewhat darker shade of sapphire already. A bird outside was softly chirping as well, but the sound was deafened by the mellow music playing in Kagami's ears, let out by the plugs she had put on, both of them connected to a certain device Jayden had lent her.

Her eyes stared towards the ceiling above as she listened to another entrancing piece, wearing a small, soft smile on her lips as she did. The player from which it came from was buried face down on her stomach with her hand resting over it, while her legs were crossed one over the other on the bed, slightly swaying left and right to the slow rhythm of the song.

The resonating sound of the soft and tender music was captivating, as were the thoughts and images that it gave her. The wonderful tones made her think of him once again. Jayden.

This was the music he listened to… this was his player. It somehow fit him. The songs there served to help her visualize him perfectly and to imagine herself being with him, moments between them materializing before her eyes in response to the sounds. Her vivid imaginings looked so real, the pictures of him looking at her lovingly, holding her tightly, kissing her deeply… but they weren't.

Kagami hadn't realized her eyes had closed as she had begun losing herself in her fantasy until she opened them again at her thought. The happiness she felt thinking about her and him was always leading to her realizing that this was only happening in her head, but it hadn't pained her this much before as it did now.

She was aware of how strong her desire was to be with Jayden, how much she wanted it to work out with him if they were together. After mulling it over, the two of them seemed… somehow right for each other. Was this only wishful thinking on her part? She had been perfectly fine before, enjoyed hanging out with him, being his friend, but that wasn't the case anymore.

Regardless… she wanted to find out. She badly wanted to give this a try. Not knowing whether it could work or not was becoming unbearable to endure. Simply imagining him and her together wasn't enough any longer.

Now, as Kagami lied in bed listening to the enchanting music that only intensified her emotions, she knew she had to do something. She could tell him how she felt about him… no, she had to. Waiting for him to possibly say something first wasn't an option… and neither was waiting for the next day of school to arrive. She had already realized before that she couldn't hold this in, but did she really have the courage to let it out already? Even if she didn't… she didn't have the strength to keep it to herself anymore.

Stopping the music and putting down the player on her nightstand, Kagami proceeded to stand up from her bed with sudden determination, only getting as far as sitting on it. Anxiety already hit her from what she was thinking of doing, her mind racing at the mere thought of it, her breathing speeding up as well.

She was actually going to speak to Jayden about this… tell him who he was to her, what she felt, what she desired, what she hoped… How would he react? Would he be surprised? Would he want this as well? And… what would happen if he said no? If he did, then…

Kagami shook her head, trying to clear her mind from these unnerving thoughts, fighting through them in an attempt to regain her courage. Despite all the worries she might have, she knew she just had to say something soon. She sighed deeply as part of her effort to calm herself down, standing up from the bed in the meantime, already walking through the door of her room, heading towards the phone in the hall. A simple call wasn't how she wanted to do it, however… she wasn't even sure she could… she had to meet up with him somewhere in person and tell him then.

Already within arm's reach of the phone, her hand reached for the receiver determinedly, yet the worry in her eyes would've been obvious to anyone in the same room. Luckily, the hall was empty while Kagami dialed and eventually sat down on the adjacent couch, her body nervously leaning forward as she waited for Jayden to pick up. Her foot slightly tapped on the floor with apprehension, a feeling she had trouble containing until somebody finally answered.

"Hello?" a girl's voice spoke on the other line in English, one that Kagami quickly remembered belonged to Kaiya.

"Hello, this is Kagami," she replied after a second, clearing her throat a little before asking, "Is, uh, is Jayden there?"

"Oh, hey. Yeah, he is, just a second," Kaiya answered in Japanese this time, the line going silent for a little while afterward. Kagami sighed with anticipation as she waited again, her anxiety compounded upon finally hearing the sound of his voice on the other end.

"Hey, Kagami," he had simply said to her.

"Jayden… is this a good time?" Kagami could only reply after a moment, her tone on edge, her hand having gone to push back a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Yeah, of course, I'm just relaxing here, eating some candy," he answered with obvious mirth, a smile appearing on Kagami's lips through her nervousness in response.

"I had a bit of chocolate myself after school," she spoke, omitting the part where she had thought of him when she did so.

"Always a nice way to close the week, I say," Jayden told her with amusement – Kagami could tell he was smiling himself in his reply.

"I haven't thought of it like that, but you're right, it is," she said in a chuckle, followed by another clearing of her throat before she spoke again. "Jayden, the reason I'm calling…" her voice trailed off for a while in hesitation before she asked firmly, "Can you meet up with me in a bit?"

"Is something wrong? You sound worried," Jayden inquired a bit worriedly. He'd always be concerned like that if he thought something was wrong.

"No, I just… I need to see you," she told him after calming herself down a little, her eyes looking down on the floor while she continued talking to him. "I know it's getting dark out, but… if you have time now…"

"I do," Jayden retorted, still bearing a hint of confusion, then asked with care again, "Are you sure everything's alright?"

"Yes, don't worry, Jayden," Kagami assured him, taking a breath again, drawing a circle in the couch with her finger while clarifying earnestly, "There's something I want to tell you, and… I don't want to talk about it over the phone."

"Okay," Jayden told her with understanding, proceeding to ask in a moment, "Where should we meet up, then?"

"Well, uh, you know that park by the river? The one by the Kuki-shi bridge?" she suggested after briefly thinking about it.

"Yeah, I think I do, it's not far away from here," Jayden's voice answered on the other end of the line.

"Then… how about we meet up there in half an hour?" Kagami inquired with a clearly hopeful tone.

"That's fine with me," he spoke in agreement.

"Thank you, Jayden," she said with a sigh of relief and a smile on her face. Not all worries were alleviated, however, for that was only the beginning. "I guess I'll talk to you there."

"See you in a bit then, Kagami," Jayden replied, his words still marked with concern.

A new wave of worry hit Kagami following the conversation she had with him, as well as the realization that she was actually going through with this. In just a little while, she was actually going to speak to Jayden and admit her feelings for him. Any effort to push away thoughts of what could happen proved to be futile, and that caused her no small degree of anxiety.

The park she had decided for them to meet up at was about fifteen minutes away… the clock above the television set showed six thirty… that meant that she had to leave at quarter to seven, at the least. This had to go right…

Her train of thought was broken by the appearance of her sister, who had just opened the door to her room. Upon arrival at the hall of their house, Tsukasa immediately turned her head in Kagami's direction and smiled mirthfully at her.

"Hey, Sis," she told her, then glanced in the direction of the television set with confusion, seeing that it wasn't turned on. Looking at Kagami again, she asked, "I thought I heard something. Aren't you watching TV?"

"No, I just called Jayden," Kagami explained with a nod towards the phone, sighing nervously and rubbing her hands together as she explained, "I'm going to tell him how I feel. We're meeting up in a few minutes."

"Oh, that's great, Sis," Tsukasa replied excitedly, smiling earnestly at her again, sitting down on the couch next to her. She simply looked at her for a second and stated, "You're nervous about it."

"Yes," Kagami nodded, returning her twin's gaze, saying, "I don't know what his answer is going to be… I don't even know what exactly I'm going to say to him."

"I'd be so scared. I probably wouldn't be able to say a word and just end up talking about something else," Tsukasa soon said to her in a giggle, closing her eyes with mirth.

"That's what I'm afraid is going to happen to me too," Kagami replied, managing to genuinely laugh back despite herself.

"Well…" Tsukasa uttered, looking away from her twin for a bit before glancing back. "Try not to think about it too much, Sis."

"I know…" Kagami answered, staring towards her reflection on the blank TV screen while she talked. "I should just say what I feel, see if he feels the same way and if he wants us to get together… There's not much more to it, but… I'm still not sure how he's going to take it."

A moment of silence passed between them before her younger twin chimed in.

"I think he'll say yes," Tsukasa told her with a reassuring nod, causing Kagami to turn her head back at her. "There was something between you even before you began thinking about it."

"Still, he probably hasn't considered... him and I together," Kagami replied, a little while passing again before Tsukasa responded.

"Even if he hasn't, he can still think about it after you ask him," she said. "And he can still say yes."

"He'll need some time in that case," Kagami spoke, her voice trailing off as her thoughts got back to wondering what his reaction was going to be, but still noticing the smile that Tsukasa was giving beside her.

"I hope things happen with you and him," she told her happily. "I think you'll be good together."

"I hope so too," Kagami replied, returning her smile with reinvigoration in her voice, saying, "Thank you, Tsukasa."

The two sisters exchanged a nod, followed by another moment of silence, Tsukasa's presence providing a certain degree of comfort, helping Kagami with the worry going on in her head.

No overthinking it… no wondering about what to say… just straight up telling him what she felt. Whatever happened, she wanted Jayden to know.

With a quick glance back at the clock above the TV, Kagami eventually put her hands on either side of the couch and then quickly stood up.

"Well then, I better get going and meet up with him," she told her sibling decisively.

"Good luck, Sis," Tsukasa beamed at her again as she looked up her way.

With a final reassuring glance between the twins, Kagami proceeded to head out of the hall with a slightly hastened pace, a result of the building excitement she felt.

All of this seemed to hit her like lightning. Before she had realized what was happening, she found herself unable to get a certain boy out of her head, and now she was about to tell him about it. How did she get here?

* * *

A few minutes later, Kagami already found herself waiting for Jayden at the far end of the little park square, a largely quiet place with only a few trees spread out from one another. The bench she was sitting on was facing the river, with most visible activity limited to the other side of the bridge where the subway station was.

Kagami's gaze was looking downward at the ground as she kept trying to inhale and exhale evenly. Her arms were propped up on her knees while her hair was slightly blowing from the wind that was hitting her, her bangs falling across her eyes in the process. After a soft sigh of anticipation, she quickly pushed them away with her hand, which proceeded to run across the length of a pigtail of her hair up and down several times.

Jayden would be here any minute now… and she'd tell him. And he could say that he wants this, too. Her feelings for him could be mutual. Things might not go as she wanted them to, but… it could still happen. Jayden and her. Together. For real. It felt like it was too much to hope for… no, she shouldn't think that way. She ought to just concentrate on speaking her mind to him… her heart. She wanted him to know that she was confident about this, sure of the fact that her feelings for him were very much real, as well as her desire. If this was to go smoothly, she had to calm herself, relax a little… though it was beyond her to fully do that at this moment.

Most importantly, Kagami just had to focus on him alone, and what she felt about him.

The sound of nearing footsteps made her turn her head towards the source, the movements of her hand stopping upon seeing that it wasn't a random passer-by nearing her this time. It was Jayden.

Even from this far, the light green shade of his eyes was palpable, a detectable spark of curiosity in them as they looked at her during his approach. He was wearing a dark green button-up shirt with a collar neatly folded around his neck and a pair of black trousers and shoes of the same color. Another gust of wind pushed Kagami's bangs to slightly obstruct her view, but she was quick to brush them away again, her gaze on his unwavering. The sight of him made her heartbeat dangerously quicken, her mind filling up with so many thoughts, and it was taking all her effort to even remotely suppress them.

She was finally going to do it…

* * *

There she was, sitting on a bench next to one of the many blossoming trees around, Jayden's eyes locking with hers as he neared her. Something important was on Kagami's mind, and it was expressed on her every feature. After a second or two, she slowly stood up from her seat, looking down on the ground while pushing away a lock of her hair behind her ear, and it wasn't until he got closer to her when she returned his gaze again.

The bluish color of her eyes seemed to penetrate the darkness of the night, their striking depths somehow gleaming as they bored into his, their shine visibly flickering. Her mouth was slightly parted, surrounded by a rosy blush on her face, a feature about her which had its own way of glowing as well. The light wind in the air made her purple hair subtly blow around her, except for a lone pigtail in front that she gently held in her hand. Her delicate fingers were playing with the hairs of the pigtail, which was resting over her sleeveless dark green vest with a collar around her neck, a couple of fastened buttons right below it. Tightly clinging to her chest, her outfit brought out her slender form, her pigtail slightly swerving over the shape of her breasts and reaching down the smooth curves of her hips. The vest went along nicely with the dark brown skirt she had put on, which was the color of the ribbons in her hair. Her creamy skin was another thing about her that appeared to glow, as apparent from the sight of her slim legs, a couple of light black shoes on her feet. The same subtle light seemed to emanate from her face as well, which Jayden couldn't help but look over again. It wasn't long before he realized, however, that he was already standing next to her, no distance left between them for him to cross. Despite feeling a similar shade of red rising to his cheeks upon seeing her own blush again, he maintained his gaze on her even when she spoke.

"Hey… Jayden," she simply said with a familiar pleasant warmth in her voice, her words sounding somewhat quiet, followed by a soft clearing of her throat.

"Kagami," he replied, noticing the reflection of the newly appeared stars above them in the girl's eyes from up close as he looked at her. He briefly inspected their depths again before remembering himself, uttering, "I'm sorry if I'm late, I wasn't sure how long the walk is from my house to here…"

"No, don't worry, you aren't," Kagami was quick to assure him with a slight shake of her head, her hand still gently moving across her pigtail when she added, "I just came here earlier."

There was a brief moment of silence between the two of them, Kagami's head having turned in the direction of the river, her mouth opening again before giving a slight, hesitant pout for a moment.

What was she struggling with? She definitely had something on her mind that she wanted to say to him. Before getting the chance to ask her, she eventually spoke first.

"I called you here to tell you… to tell you that I've been thinking about something lately," she explained, looking at him out of the corner of her eyes.

"What's wrong, Kagami?" he answered, the tone in his words etched with the concern he had felt when he heard her hesitation over the phone before.

"No, I… nothing's wrong, Jayden, it's… far from that," she replied, glancing at the ground, a soft smile appearing on her features while her blush seemed to intensify.

Kagami didn't seem to be distraught, and what she had just said brought no small degree of relief, but... why did she appear so shy? Her eyes seemed to avoid any direct contact with his for a bit now. Whenever she did look at him, however, her gaze was somehow intense… it made him recall the way she'd sometimes hold it on his for a while, a similar particularity about it when she did.

"What I'm trying to say is… what happened recently with Konata has made me realize something," she continued after a moment, her legs shifting beneath her. "That whole thing… it was disheartening. I felt horrible when she was down like that, but… what I also hated was seeing you that way too."

Her eyes made contact with his upon saying the last few words, her hand having moved to slowly twirl one of the strands of her hair as she continued speaking. Was it something… something about him that made her stumble upon her words like this?

"It was such a relief when things started going back to normal, and since they have, I've been… thinking about you."

Kagami softly gulped as she spoke, her gaze subtly locking on his with her head still turned a little downward to the ground. Jayden audibly breathed out in response, his lips parting as his mind tried to process what she was telling him.

"You were back with us again, with… me. Just like before, except it wasn't all the same," she continued with a slightly uneven voice, but not without a certain confidence. "There was something more…"

She let out a soft sigh before lifting up her head at him again, still blushing as she did, and Jayden found himself unable to look away even if he wanted to.

"You've always been a good friend to me, Jayden," Kagami said to him with sincerity while pushing the bangs away from her face. "I'm glad that you are… and that you've been there for me when I needed someone."

Jayden wanted to answer her and tell her that he thought the same things about her as well, but for one reason or another, he couldn't bring himself to say anything yet. His eyes lingered on her, barely aware of what was around them anymore.

"But what I realized was that you are still different… that you are special to me," she told him with conviction in her flickering eyes. She was weaving and unweaving the fingers of her hands as she spoke, "I guess that, with time, I discovered that I have feelings for you, Jayden. That you aren't only a friend to me, after all. You're more."

When the last of her words poured into him, Jayden had to release the breath he didn't realize he had been holding all this time. Kagami's soft, sincere voice kept playing in his head as he looked at her facing him with an expectant look in her eyes, her mouth still slightly open.

His mind was trying to sort out the many thoughts that went through, the emotions… Kagami… She really felt something for him? She had been thinking about him?

"You have feelings for me?" he managed to ask her, hearing the hopeful tone in his own voice as soon as he said it.

"I'm certain of that, Jayden," Kagami firmly replied while pulling a lock of hair behind her ear, firmly holding her gaze on his. She asked him with similar hopefulness, "I— I know you might not have expected this, but do you… do you feel that way about me?"

Even though Jayden hadn't asked himself that, he somehow still knew the answer to her question, his heart calling out to him in response before he could even think about it. However, he needed a second to calm down a little before he could provide her with a reply.

"I do, Kagami," he soon answered her, his words just beginning coming out on their own, "What you said… it applies for you as well. Getting to know you, befriending you… helping me through a lot… it does feel like you've always been something more to me too."

"You… you mean that?" she inquired slowly with noticeable excitement building up in her, her mouth remaining open in expectation until he answered.

"No doubt about it," Jayden assured her with a smile, seeing his own flickering gaze in hers. "I feel the same connection with you, Kagami… and it's stronger than any friendship I've had."

There was a beautiful glitter in Kagami's mirthful eyes at his response, a smile of her own having started to form on her face, so gentle and joyous. Jayden could swear he was able to feel her bliss somehow, the sight of her like that managing to make his own breath stop. She stood that way for a second, simply looking at him happily, until she let out a soft gasp and quickly closed the little distance that was between them. Before Jayden could even realize, Kagami had fluttered her eyes closed in her approach, thrown her arms around his neck and kissed him.

The impact had almost pushed him backwards a little, his heart skipping a beat at the sudden contact between them, the sensation of her mouth on his taking him aback. It only took him a moment to close his own eyes and return and fall into the kiss, already relishing the sweet taste of her lips that gently brushed against his. At that time, all else seemed to disappear, his mind forgetting everything but her and her kiss alone. He had put his arm around her and deepened the contact, every touch of their mouths tender, barely indicative of the overwhelming emotion he and her felt.

Jayden couldn't be sure how much time had passed in the blissful moment, but there was certainly enough for him to lose himself in it completely. It wasn't a sensation like any other… it felt so exquisite. And it was with Kagami.

At a point, however, their lips did eventually part, not without a tinge of reluctance on his part. As he opened his eyes, Kagami's own were revealed right before him, looking back with an emotional flicker, inches away from his. He could still feel her breath on him being this close to her, her chest visibly rising and falling as she deeply inhaled and exhaled. The blush on her cheeks was evident as she shifted her gaze a little to the side with a soft smile playing across her features, one that he had on his own countenance as well.

"Wow, Kagami… this was..." Jayden uttered, a little breathless from the joining of their lips, still somehow feeling hers on his own.

"I, uh, I guess I've been wanting to do that… for some time…" Kagami spoke in a mirthful tone, her hands around his neck loosening a little.

"Nothing wrong with that," Jayden replied in a chuckle after a second, bringing Kagami's eyes to him again, the smiles on both of their faces widening. Their hands proceeded to intertwine when Kagami's eventually fell from his shoulders, a pleasant warmth being emanated from their joined fingers. They simply played with them a little before Jayden spoke once more, "I don't know if I would've been able to hold myself back for much longer either."

"I don't think I would've minded," Kagami told him, the color in her cheeks rising a bit again as she looked downward to their hands.

"I certainly didn't mind this," Jayden answered while giving her a teasing grin which only intensified her blush, her fingers weaving and unweaving around his.

"I'm so glad you feel this way about me too, Jayden… I thought there might be something – you seemed to… I mean, I just never knew for certain," Kagami said to him excitedly as she returned his gaze, her voice sounding infectiously happy.

"The truth is, I wasn't quite aware of it myself," he replied with another heartfelt chuckle, a similar color of red on his own face when he added, "But, come to think of it, you're... not like any other girl I've met."

"I'm… I'm not?" Kagami asked a bit nervously, a gust of wind pushing some of her hair over her eye, but she didn't move her hand away from his to pull it back.

"No, you're not," he eventually repeated with a confident nod of his head, Kagami's gaze on him still somehow confused until he said to her, "I still think that if it wasn't for you, we wouldn't have been even able to hang out anymore. You helped a friend through a very rough time… and I don't think a lot of people could have done the same. Certainly not ones as strong, thoughtful or caring as you."

"Jayden…" she could only say in response for the moment, a noticeable glitter showing through in her eyes again as an earnest smile soon appeared on her lips. "I… I've never had someone say that to me. Thank you."

As she said that, Kagami proceeded to slowly pull him in a gentle embrace, with Jayden finding himself hugging her back tightly, closing his eyes as he did. Holding her like that felt so comforting, so right… he couldn't help but want the feeling to linger on as much as possible. With the time spent having her in his arms, it seemed like Kagami didn't want it to end herself, and it didn't until a good while.

"Jayden…" she then spoke his name again, slowly pulling back from him with a soft, pleasant sigh escaping her mouth. Her hands started playing together again as she looked at him with an expectant smile, her brows lifted with hope as she asked, "Do you want to give this a try? I mean… you and me together?"

After a few seconds of holding his gaze on hers, Jayden looked away in the direction of the river, contemplating the question she had just asked him, his thoughts swimming excitedly again.

It wasn't until too long ago when he had realized the true extent of his feelings for Kagami… if he were to get together with her, it wasn't something he could bear to ruin… he couldn't mess it up. He had already put a strain on her and her friends once, what if he did it again?

Looking back at her, however, he couldn't deny that he wanted this as well. She was special herself, that much was certain, and he found himself drawn to her. There was a lot about her…

Jayden had never failed to notice her strength – a trait of hers that she was showing right now, in fact. There was a certain conviction in her words tonight, and she really seemed sure of her feelings for him, of what she was saying to him. It mustn't have been the easiest thing to muster up the courage to do that… but she did always speak her mind, didn't she? Her soft expression as she looked at him now was reminiscent of how considerate a person she was too, something she just kept proving to him time and time again in the company of others. He doubted that the group would have managed to get together if it wasn't for her doing, either. Kagami was a friend they were all lucky to have… and she could be even something more for him. And now, he couldn't see her being anything less than that.

"I'd love to, Kagami," he told her eventually after spending that time thinking, beaming happily at her. Kagami's eyes lit up even more at his response, her own smile widening.

"I want this too, Jayden," she replied in a confident nod, proceeding to turn her head downward a little while playing with a strand of her hair, the enchanting glow never leaving her eyes. Her pigtails lightly blew in the wind again, dangling loosely around her, with Jayden's gaze following the subtle movements. It appeared so soft…

It was her voice that brought him out of yet another reverie he was going to fall into just from the sight of her.

"This is a bit overwhelming, isn't it?" she had just asked him.

"It is, but it's a good kind of overwhelming," Jayden replied, smiling at her softly once more.

"I mean, I've been thinking about this a lot, and then I decided to tell you, and then you said that you feel this way too, and now…" Kagami spoke to him excitedly while gesticulating with her hands, suddenly pulling them back, another blush on her face appearing.

"You don't have to stop," Jayden said with a teasing grin, and after a moment of looking at the adorable look of her flustered, he answered, "It's a lot to take in for me too, but I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Me either. I guess I just need to… clear my head a little," Kagami retorted with a pleasant chuckle.

"That might take a bit of time for me as well," Jayden laughed back mirthfully while rubbing the back of his neck.

"Well, they wouldn't want me completely missing dinner at home anyway," she told him with somewhat of a reluctant sigh, a thoughtful look on her face as she briefly turned it away from him. Her brows suddenly furrowed a little as she inquired, "We don't have anything to study for Monday, right?"

"Study? I'm not sure I even remember now," Jayden answered with a chuckle. "But I'd like to think that we don't."

"Then, I was thinking that we could... meet up again tomorrow?" Kagami asked with a hopeful tone in her voice, lifting her brows again expectantly.

"Yes, I'd like that," Jayden replied in a nod. After this, he knew he couldn't possibly wait until Monday to see her. "Even if there were something else, I think it can definitely wait."

"True enough," she retorted, her cheeks flushing again a little. She pulled another lock of her hair behind her ear and told him, "I'll call you again before that."

"I'll be looking forward to it," he answered with a sincere smile on his features.

"I'd imagine that it won't be until too long, Jayden," she replied while returning his smile, keeping it on her face while she sighed happily and briefly stayed quiet before she eventually eventually told him, "I'll be seeing you soon, then."

"It's a date," he replied, nodding at her once more.

It wasn't until a few seconds when Kagami began turning around, proceeding to slowly walk away, not without eventually glancing back at him for a moment. Jayden still remained there, next to the bench he had found her sitting on, and looked at her with a smile as she slowly disappeared from view before starting to head home himself.

He still had trouble wrapping his head around everything that had happened, all that was said… but right now, he was full of mirth, something which anyone passing by would've noticed on his features. His breathing had calmed down, but his mind was still replaying every moment with Kagami today, every smile she had given him, every word she had said to him. He hadn't anticipated any of this happening when she had called him, nor had he thought he would be returning home with the widest smile on his face.

Whenever Jayden wasn't doing any reflection on the moments with her just before, the only other thing he thought of was the day after and the fact that he was going to be meeting up with her again. It was only tomorrow, and yet it still didn't seem soon enough – his mind raced with the prospect of him and Kagami together. There wasn't any lack of worry as to how it was going to go, but right now Jayden couldn't withhold the overshadowing excitement he felt.

Kagami had really said these things to him. She had meant them. The girl he had been having feelings for actually felt the same way herself. The one he had been talking to for nearly every day since he came to this school. This really seemed too good to be true, didn't it?

And her kiss… it had left him breathless. He could still feel her lips on his as he recalled the moment it happened, their soft touch and sweet taste. The contact had been light, and yet so powerful at the same time – it had made him lose all conscious thought, and he wouldn't have had it any other way. The memory wasn't something he could easily get out of his head.

She had been right – this was really overwhelming indeed.

With a sigh of contentment, Jayden looked on at the firmament above as he walked, recalling the way it had been mirrored in the girl's eyes with fondness. They really were like a set of stars.

* * *

Dreamily looking upward at the sky, Kagami slowly walked back in the direction of her house, a smile playing across her face as she did, her eyes still slightly flickering with emotion.

It really happened. She had finally told Jayden her feelings, and he felt the same way about her as well… she had meant something more to him too… she hadn't been like any other girl he'd met…

While her nervousness had never quite left her, pouring out her feelings for him had been easier than she thought it would. She didn't need to think about what she'd say – she just did, and she couldn't even remember what she was thinking when he had started doing the same. Her heart seemed to have taken precedence over mind at that point, taking over all conscious thought. And it had felt wonderful.

This wasn't only a fantasy of hers, was it? Like the ones she had started having?

No, it couldn't be. The image was perfectly clear as she recalled him, the conviction in his eyes, his soft expression, his words to her… that, combined with the moment her lips had been on his, still made Kagami blush as she thought about it.

Kagami hadn't thought she'd kiss Jayden tonight, but it had just… happened. When he didn't immediately respond, she had almost begun to feel worried about what she had done, but once he did… she discovered that kissing him wasn't quite the way it was in her fantasies. It had felt much better than that, so sweet and gentle… And now, as she brought a finger to her lips for a moment, still feeling the mark he had left on her there… she couldn't help but dreamily wonder when a fresher one would join it. Would it be tomorrow? They'd meet up again then, right? She shook her head at the thought with a smile on her face. Already fantasizing again.

Kagami hadn't quite realized it, but as she continued nearing home through the largely empty streets, her lips had started quietly mumbling a soft tune under her breath, the happiness she felt showing in the warm sound of her voice.

"_Someone, someone, someone…" _

"_Someone is thinking of someone else…"_


	14. 9th of June, 2013

**Someone Else**

**Chapter 14: 9****th**** of June, 2013**

It was almost time for Jayden to leave to meet with Kagami on what was already turning out to be a wonderful Sunday day. The sky had remained clear from yesterday, as it had through the starry night before, and the open window in his room let in a warm, pleasant air from outside. As he looked at his reflection in the hallway mirror, Jayden kept on adjusting the collar of his short-sleeved white shirt, his fingers absent-mindedly tugging on the fabric.

Even as he continued to make various small adjustments to his appearance, his eyes kept staring into their two counterparts, showing palpable joy, one that hadn't faded for a good while now. Kagami had called him the night before, not long before both had gotten home, deciding together with him as to where they'd meet up today. Speaking with her, Jayden had realized that he still didn't have much knowledge of their neighborhood or Kuki-shi in general. He had put trust in her judgement instead, and they ended up choosing to see each other at one of the upper bridges over the nearby river around lunch-time.

Finally deciding on being satisfied with how he looked, Jayden let out a deep, anxious sigh, the smile on his features remaining as he idly kept his gaze on the mirror. He'd often fondly recall the way Kagami had looked last night, what she had said, her mirthful expression, her radiating eyes, her joyful voice, the blush on her cheeks… In just a short while he'd see her again on their first date, the thought giving him no small degree of excitement, but not without slight worry to go along with it. This wasn't something he had any experience with before… would that show through? Then again, he hadn't kissed before either, but when Kagami's mouth had found itself on his, every movement of his lips in response to hers had felt somehow perfectly natural.

The danger of slipping into his recollection of that moment again was averted when the sound of footsteps shook him out of his reverie, causing him to look away from the mirror towards his sister just walking through the door of her room.

"Hey," she told him mirthfully as she approached, proceeding to give him a knowing smile upon noticing him standing next to the mirror. "Preparing for your date with Kagami?"

"Yeah, we're meeting up in about half an hour," Jayden answered with an enthusiastic nod.

"I'm going to see my friend Kasumi from school," Kaiya said while grabbing hold of her denim jacket from the coat rack, putting it over her red T-shirt. She added as she looked at him again with her brows lifted, "Certainly less exciting than what's going on with you though, Jayde. You worried?"

"A little bit," Jayden replied honestly with a smile, rubbing the back of his neck as he did so. "I'm afraid I'll mess something up."

"Wish I could help, I'd probably be that way too," Kaiya let out a chuckle, returning his smile and folding her arms, saying, "But you were clearly friends with her for some time before and you already enjoy hanging out with her a lot. That should be of some consolation, at least."

"Of course I do," Jayden told her adamantly with another nod of his head. "If anything, I'm just too excited about getting this chance with her... and to think that I hadn't even really considered it before, but now, I just want it go well."

"I don't think it'll be any different for her either," Kaiya remarked thoughtfully. "Especially if she's liked you for long, which I've always suspected about her."

"What? How so? You've barely even seen her," Jayden asked her after a moment through furrowed brows and a quizzical look on his face.

"What I've been hearing from you was enough, Jayde," his sister playfully retorted with amusement in her voice, but soon added with a shrug, "Well, maybe I haven't really suspected anything, but now that she asked you out, I guess it sort of fits. You talk about her a lot, you know."

"I figured you hadn't. You would've certainly said something, I think," Jayden spoke in a heartfelt chuckle.

"Probably," Kaiya replied with another nonchalant shrug, and then grinned back at him as she added, "I don't know what advice to give you – just don't lose your cool and you should be fine, I think."

Jayden gave her a silent nod, his sister giving him a pat on his shoulder as she walked past him through the narrow corridor, turning around again while opening the door of the house.

"I'll be hanging out with Kasumi for a while, so I guess I'll see you later, Jayde," she told him with a smile.

"Don't take too long – remember that you have homework to do for tomorrow," Jayden reminded her with a teasing grin.

"Don't rub it in too much," Kaiya replied before closing the door.

With that said, Jayden turned his attention back towards the mirror for a second, putting his hands inside the pockets of his black trousers, his mouth letting out a deep sigh.

He should head out soon himself… he didn't think he could wait any longer anyway.

* * *

There were at least three sets of clothing Kagami had picked out from her wardrobe, all of them neatly placed on the bed in her room, the girl standing in front of them with her hand on her chin. The thoughtful expression on her face was joined by an excited smile as she looked at each one of them, wondering what she should wear for her imminent first date with Jayden. Once again, it was him that filled most of her thoughts even as she mulled this over, for she was already joyfully thinking about what their first date together was going to be like. She was aware of the excitement she felt, which hadn't quite lessened ever since they had actually arranged this date yesterday.

Every so often, she'd switch a few of the clothes she had picked out around, trying out different combinations, various colors… She should go for something casual that looked good on her, and was comfortable enough to wear too… It was warm outside now, so it'd have to be something light as well…

Suddenly, there was a knock on her door that made Kagami turn her head to look in that direction, with Tsukasa's voice on the other side. After being ensured that it was okay to come in, her twin sister opened the door and entered, immediately taking note of the clothes arranged on the bed, proceeding to give Kagami a joyful smile afterward. She was wearing a favorite vest top of hers, a colorful one with different shades of yellow and orange, as well as a brown skirt.

"Hey, Sis," she greeted Kagami, taking a step towards her. "Picking clothes for your date with Jayden-san?"

"Yes, I am," Kagami answered with a nod of her head, returning her sister's smile as she did. "I don't think I've ever thought about this so much before."

"Because you're really excited about the date, Sis. I am too," Tsukasa beamed at her in response, then looking back at the clothes laid out on the bed. "Did you decide on anything yet?"

"Not yet. At least, not everything," Kagami answered, pointing towards a brown bag on her desk next to her notes. "I'll be bringing that bag with me, so I want something to go with it, which is why I narrowed it down to these…"

"Ah, I see," Tsukasa replied, still curiously looking at the bag Kagami had left on the desk.

"I like this dark green jacket a lot, but I don't think it would go too well this time… I think I'll go for this beige one instead," Kagami spoke, once again putting a hand on her chin in thought, turning around towards her sister, asking, "What do you think, Tsukasa?"

"Oh," Tsukasa let out, giving the short-sleeved beige jacket a glance herself before answering. "Yes, I think it will work… probably with this brown skirt that you have put there too."

"Hmm," Kagami hummed thoughtfully, finding herself nodding at Tsukasa's suggestion. "I think so too, perhaps with this dark blue shirt underneath."

"It matches your eyes," Tsukasa agreed as she watched Kagami lift up the blue shirt and look it over, holding it out in front of the white casual one she was wearing right now.

"I like this one a lot…" Kagami spoke as she thought about it a little more, looking over the other ones she had picked out, and then smiled at Tsukasa as she said decisively, "Okay, I will try this out, then."

As Tsukasa nodded her way excitedly in response, Kagami proceeded to change into the clothes she decided on at the end, with her twin sister sitting on the edge of the bed in the meantime. She proceeded to look at her reflection in her wardrobe mirror, making any adjustments to her outfit she thought necessary. Getting Tsukasa's approval of what she wore provided her with a degree of relief as well, allowing her thoughts to excitedly swim back to Jayden again.

Her hands began working on the ribbons in her hair as she walked up to the open window of her room, looking through it, her gaze involuntarily staring off somewhere in the distance. The sun above was pleasantly shining, its lights falling upon her face from the clear blue sky, bringing out the color of her eyes and the soft smile that she wore. Tsukasa remained seated on her bed and kept on looking at her with enthusiasm of her own, her hands intertwined together excitedly.

"Where did you say you planned to go today, Sis?" she eventually asked Kagami curiously.

"Remember that seafood restaurant we went to with Inori and Matsuri a couple of months ago?" Kagami replied, turning her head towards her sister, one of her rands running along the length of a pigtail of her hair after having finished working on the ribbon. "I really enjoyed it there and I think Jayden will too, he likes seafood a lot after all."

"Oh, yes, I remember that place," Tsukasa spoke in a nod, proceeding to inquire after a moment, "It was the one by the river, right?"

"Yes, that's the one," Kagami answered, looking back through the window of her room with an amused smile, chuckling as she said, "I should remind him to ask for a fork and a knife this time. If sushi rolls are giving him trouble, imagine how difficult this would be for him."

"If you ask me, it's actually harder without chopsticks," Tsukasa replied, closing her eyes mirthfully. "It's strange to think that someone hasn't used them successfully even once."

"I'll teach him how to eat with them sometime… even if that means I won't be able to watch him struggle with them again," Kagami retorted playfully, sharing a laugh with Tsukasa and relinquishing the gentle grip on her pigtail, letting out a sigh of contentment before looking at her sister again.

"This is very exciting, Sis," Tsukasa spoke with honest joy in her voice. "You and Jayden-san together, and you dating him now... actually being his girlfriend."

"It is," Kagami returned the smile Tsukasa was giving her, leaning back on her desk, putting her hands on either side while still looking at her twin. "I must admit I'm still a bit overwhelmed, but… but it feels great, Tsukasa. I really can't wait to see him."

"After yesterday, I'd imagine it would," Tsukasa said to her with another nod of her head. "I mean, hearing that he likes you as well, that he wants to go out with you, getting to kiss him too."

"Mm," Kagami hummed, her cheeks slightly coloring as she recalled the moments, a soft smile on her face while she looked down for a moment before returning her sister's gaze again. "It's hard not getting excited about this, Tsukasa. I think that I've barely managed to clear my head from last night."

"It will probably be like that for a while," Tsukasa replied in a chuckle, then proceeding to ask her, "When are you going to see him?"

"In less than an hour now," Kagami told her after turning her head around to look at the clock on her desk , which was placed next to her stack of notebooks. Glancing back at Tsukasa, she told her, "I should probably be leaving actually – it's a bit of a walk from here to Ainohashi Bridge, and I don't want to be late."

"I don't think it's that far, Sis, you're just eager," Tsukasa replied observantly after a moment, beaming happily at Kagami.

"I might be," the older twin retorted in a mirthful chuckle, then proceeded to ask inquisitively, "What are your plans for the day, Tsukasa?"

"I will go out later to buy wards and power stones," Tsukasa answered, and upon seeing Kagami's bewildered expression, she clarified, "Our birthday's approaching, and I'm getting worried… unlucky things happen before a critical year, like turning eighteen."

"Come on now, you don't really believe that?" Kagami spoke to her warmly, her features soft even as she shook her head. "You shouldn't place such big importance on things like that. Same thing with fortunes."

"Well, I can't help it," Tsukasa replied with a nervous smile, slightly shrugging. "It'll be a fun thing to do anyway, I always like going to the Takanomiya Shrine, even when there isn't a festival."

"I know, me too. I just wanted to make sure that you don't depress yourself with that or anything," Kagami nodded at her with reassurance.

"Not after we have some of these power stones," Tsukasa remarked in a determined manner.

"I guess it couldn't hurt to buy a few, then," Kagami smiled at her, and after a brief moment of silence she started walking towards the door while her sister stood up from the bed and followed suit.

"I'll go after I eat something for lunch. I think there's some curry left from last night," Tsukasa spoke, putting a hand on her chin thoughtfully.

"Yeah, there is. Mom made sure that there would be enough for everybody for a couple more days," Kagami answered, smiling at Tsukasa as they walked out of the room, turning to face her before carrying out with her intention to head towards the door of the house.

"I'll see you later then, Tsukasa," Kagami then said to her twin. "And thank you for helping me pick out the outfit."

"No problem, Sis," Tsukasa replied with mirth. "Have a great time with Jayden-san."

"Thank you, I hope so," Kagami spoke appreciatively, returning the smile on the other girl's face, her hand tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

After sharing another nod between themselves, Tsukasa went for the dining room while Kagami headed in the opposite direction, approaching the doormat that members of the Hiiragi family would place their shoes next to. She put on her white laceless sneakers, noticing that her parents' shoes were gone, the two of them having gone out somewhere together. All of the Hiiragi daughters were at home, however, so theirs were all still lined up by the doormat.

In her excitement to meet with Jayden, Kagami had almost forgotten to bring her keys with her, which she had prepared on top of the hallway drawer. His music player was also there, but she wanted to hold onto it for a little longer until she managed to listen to more tracks that she might like.

Eventually, Kagami walked through the door of the Hiiragi household, already hit by the warm pleasant air outside, the smile on her face slightly widening as she began walking away from home.

In just a little while, she'd finally see Jayden again…

* * *

In the meantime, Jayden had already arrived at the bridge that he was scheduled to meet Kagami at a few minutes earlier. He had both of his hands latched onto the railing as he slightly leaned forward, looking at the river that was silently running through the city of Kuki-shi. The few small feathery clouds in the sky were reflected in its clean surface, along with some of the taller apartment buildings in the district. Jayden could make out his own silhouette as he glanced further down, along with the ones of people either walking or cycling through the small pedestrian bridge.

The warm pleasant wind softly blew in Jayden's direction and ruffled his hair while he continued to look at the view, finding it somewhat soothing as he waited for Kagami to come. Despite that, he still anxiously lifted up his left arm a good number of times to check the time displayed on his black wristwatch. He did it once again, noticing that there were at least five minutes until one o'clock. The bridge had been closer to his house than he thought… he really was this excited to meet up with her.

Even though Jayden expected that there'd be a bit more waiting until Kagami arrived, he still turned his head sideways in the direction he expected her to come from, hoping to see her. He fondly spared the nearby park a glance before he did so, pleasant memories of last night flooding back to him. It was the place where Kagami had confessed her feelings for him, and where he had found out that he actually reciprocated them as well. The bench she had been sitting on was right there, at the farthest end of the park by the river, now occupied by what Jayden thought was an old couple. His eyesight wasn't that good to be able to say so with certainty, but it was still unmistakably the place where he and Kagami had met up yesterday. He could feel his lips pull into a smile as he thought about it once more, sighing contentedly in the meantime. It had only happened last night, and yet it felt like he had been waiting for much longer to see Kagami again…

After the quick reminiscing on his part, Jayden fully turned his head towards the end of the bridge in search for Kagami, his eyes lingering on the people who walked his way, but seeing no sign of her yet.

He was just about to look away again after a few moments of holding his gaze in that direction before it caught on a distinct shade of purple, one that appeared behind a group of people who just walked by. Even though he wasn't able to see the approaching girl in perfect focus yet, Jayden could tell that it was definitely Kagami – she was early herself.

A couple of seconds afterwards, when she was already closer to him, her eyes met his, partially obscured by a few strands of her hair falling across her face as a result of the strong wind that blew from the side. Her long pigtails were dangling next to her too, the bright light of the sun hitting them, somehow bringing out their distinct eye-catching purple color. While one of her hands had gone to brush the bangs away from her eyes, her other hand was holding onto a small, brown bag that she carried over her shoulder. It was of a similar shade as the one of the ribbons in her hair and the short skirt that she had put on. She had also donned a light, short-sleeved beige jacket that she wore open, a dark blue shirt underneath, one that matched the unique color of her sharp eyes rather well. Jayden's own gaze locked with hers again, noticing the soft smile that she had on her face, and the subtle, rosy glow of her cheeks. He couldn't help but return her smile and take a few steps towards her himself, his hands having relinquished their grip on the railing and instead gone inside the pockets of his black trousers.

The joy of finally seeing Kagami again was evident on Jayden's features, his eyes unwavering as he continued to take in her beauty with each step taken towards her. Once the wind blew in his face again, causing his fringe to fall across his right eye completely, he almost immediately brushed it away with his hand to keep looking at her, returning it inside his pocket once more afterwards.

"Hey, Jayden," Kagami spoke softly when she was within earshot, her voice as warm as he remembered it being the night before.

"Hey, Kagami," Jayden replied, the two of them stopping right in front of each other. Neither the smile nor the blush left Kagami's face as she kept looking into his eyes, her own occasionally obscured by her bangs from the force of the wind.

"Oh, I'm sorry if you had to wait, am I late?" she suddenly said after a couple of seconds of simply looking at him, worriedly glancing at her own wristwatch.

"No, don't worry. I think we're both a bit early," Jayden shook his head in reply, smiling at her as she returned his gaze again. His cheeks were slightly colored as he then said to her, "You… you look really nice."

"Oh," Kagami simply let out again, her free hand twirling a strand of her hair as she answered after a second, still looking at him, "Thank you. You do too."

Jayden blushed again in response while rubbing the back of his neck, keeping the smile on his face as he looked away from her for a moment, turning his head towards the view next to them, saying, "It's so nice out today, isn't it?"

"Yes… it really is. We've been really lucky with the weather nowadays," Kagami soon answered, following his gaze towards the river and the nearby park, both of them looking back at each other almost at the same time. "And it's great for where we're going now, too," she then added.

"Oh, yeah, where are we going today?" Jayden then inquired curiously, looking inquisitively at the girl in front of him.

"There's a really nice seafood restaurant by the river that I remember liking a lot," Kagami said to him with a soft smile on her face.

"A seafood restaurant?" Jayden repeated with obvious excitement in his voice, with Kagami letting out an endearing giggle before replying.

"I knew you'd like the idea," she then told him, blushing a little again, running her hand over the length of a pigtail in front of her. She proceeded to add with a slight frown, "There's one thing, though. I don't think they give people anything to eat with other than chopsticks there. So…"

"Oh," Jayden simply let out after a moment in a surprised tone, proceeding to chuckle a bit and rub the back of his neck again as he said, "I guess I'll… eat with my hands or something."

Kagami let out another giggle in response, making Jayden look at her curiously with his cheeks flushed once more until she finally told him, "Don't worry, Jayden, I was kidding. I don't think that will be necessary."

"Hey, that was mean," Jayden retorted in a joking tone after a moment, already feeling relieved that he won't have to struggle like that again. "I was beginning to think that I might have to always bring a fork and a knife with me here, just in case."

"Or it'd be easier if you learned how to use chopsticks, just in case," Kagami spoke with an amused teasing smile, brushing the bangs away from her face that the wind had pushed back once more.

"That would… take me some time," Jayden let out a heartfelt chuckle. "And once again I think I'm too hungry right now to spend it learning how."

"I'm feeling hungry myself already," Kagami replied in a nod, turning her head back to where she came from for a moment, saying, "We could begin heading to the restaurant, it's not far away from here."

"Sounds like a plan," Jayden nodded back, the two of them sharing a smile between themselves.

Before either started going anywhere, Kagami looked at Jayden for a moment, the rosy blush on her face evident on her joyful expression as she held out her hand invitingly towards him. His lips parted slightly in surprise as he looked at it a bit nervously, and then back at her, registering the soft smile that was still on her face. He beamed at her again, and pulled one of his hands from his pocket and reached out for her own, lacing his fingers together with hers, already feeling the pleasant warmth of her skin on his.

Then, they started going in the direction Kagami had come from, and walked across the bridge in a moment of silence, their hands intertwined. Jayden couldn't help but look at her, still having trouble believing that this was happening already, that he was now on his first date with her on this lovely day… Even though they were simply walking together, it was already a different experience than before... and it felt great.

Instead of going back in the direction of the park they had met up at last night, Kagami was leading Jayden through a promenade next to the river. There were a lot of people out today who had taken the very same route that they were going through right now, a lot of them couples too – there wasn't anybody who didn't look like they were enjoying themselves in the pleasant weather. Apart from the pedestrians who walked alongside Kagami and Jayden, there was also a lane for bicycles that some were currently taking advantage of. The walkway also had plenty of benches, most of which were already occupied, that offered a view towards the other side of the city. Even though they were far from alone on the promenade, it was still quiet as they walked through it, no nearby car traffic to make any noise either.

Jayden once again turned his head in Kagami's direction to see her smiling softly as she looked at the river, which seemed to sometimes sparkle underneath the light of the sun, the image reflected in the girl's eyes.

"You know, Tsukasa and I loved going here when we were still kids," she eventually spoke to him, shifting her gaze to his own. "Once we learned how to ride bikes, we sometimes raced each other here. This promenade used to be on our way to school back then anyway."

"Racing, huh? Knowing you, that must've been competitive," Jayden told Kagami with a teasing grin, making her blush a little again in response.

"Well, it's true that I won most of the time, but we both had a lot of fun," she replied with a smile, proceeding to look in front of them again. "We'd go to the bench that's closest to the street leading towards the shrine after that to rest for a bit."

"So you used to go to school here, in Kuki-shi?" Jayden then inquired curiously, his head tilted in her direction.

"Yes, our grade school is only a bit further up the river, about ten minutes away from that park," Kagami explained as she glanced back at him. "Junior high was further away in Satte-shi, but it was still close enough to go by bike."

"Ah, that's where Konata's house is, right?" Jayden asked, with Kagami nodding as she replied.

"It is, but we didn't meet her until our first year in Ryōō."

"My grade school was a bit far away from home too, but I just had to wait for the school bus to arrive and get me there," Jayden then told her. "High school was much closer and I could get there on foot."

"So you haven't travelled this much to school before as you do here?" Kagami asked, giving him yet another smile, brushing away the bangs from her face with her free hand to look at him better after the wind had slightly ruffled them beforehand.

"Nor did I need to wake up as early as I do now," Jayden answered with a shake of his head, chuckling a little before adding, "Believe it or not, I didn't always bring an MP3 player with me when I went to school before, but with how long the trip is here…"

"Truth to be told, maybe if I didn't always go to Ryōō with Tsukasa, I might've eventually decided to bring a player of my own with me too," Kagami replied thoughtfully after letting out a chuckle herself, adding after a moment as she nodded his way, "It'd be a good way to kill time."

"That, and you can just continue enjoying the music you like," Jayden remarked with a nod of his own. "While you still have mine, you can take it with you to school."

"Maybe I can," Kagami soon said, a teasing expression on her face as she playfully told him, "I can upload a bunch of my favorite songs there too while I'm at it."

"I wouldn't mind," Jayden retorted, a look of surprise replacing the teasing grin on Kagami's face as he spoke with a smile, "There's enough space for that anyway, and I'd be interested in hearing what music you're into yourself."

"Oh," Kagami simply let out while she returned his smile, her cheeks slightly colored again as she added, "Well, I've been listening to the tracks in your player and I already have a few that I'm thinking of looking up somewhere… I mean, who knows, maybe you'd like some of the ones I enjoy as well."

"Of course, I'd love to listen to whatever you give me too," Jayden told her earnestly, gently squeezing her hand for a second as he held it, with Kagami's smile widening in response.

Her gaze didn't move away from his for a while as they continued going through the promenade, her proximity allowing Jayden to see her bluish eyes from up close. Their captivating depth made it difficult for him to look away despite the blush that had begun to form on her face again, a subtle color rising on his own cheeks in response as well.

What eventually broke their eye contact was an almost inaudible gasp that Kagami suddenly let out and looked at something behind them and stopped walking, her hand still holding onto his.

"Oh, I think we might've walked past the restaurant," she soon told him before he could ask what was wrong.

"I wouldn't be surprised," Jayden then spoke in a chuckle and followed her gaze, adding with surprise in his voice afterward, "Oh, there's quite a few places to eat here."

He hadn't noticed just how many tables had been brought out at the end of the promenade, ones that clearly belonged to the restaurants around. A good amount were occupied already, making him wonder whether there'd be even a place for them to sit somewhere outside, if one of these was the seafood restaurant Kagami had mentioned before. He only now registered the chatter coming from the many clients there, having been oblivious to it himself beforehand.

"Oh, here it is – that one," Kagami eventually said excitedly, nodding her head towards one of the restaurants, immediately proceeding to lead Jayden there.

At first, he couldn't tell which one she meant because they were so close together, but the shrimp sign on top of the seafood restaurant building soon gave it away. The clients ate on small, circular tables outside and were served by a lone, rushed waitress walking among them who was delivering the ordered food. Most of the places to sit on were already taken, but one of the tables closest to the actual promenade was empty. Kagami had apparently noticed it as well, for she gestured with her head in its direction inquisitively, Jayden nodding back with enthusiasm in return. She then smiled at him joyfully and led him to the table in question while it was still free.

"This place smells good," Jayden observed as they got closer while taking a peek at the enticing food that other people nearby had ordered for themselves. Bowls of shrimps, cups of rice, a lot of different sauces, and dishes of various other seafood populated the restaurant tables.

"I haven't been here for a long time, but it looks as good as I remember it being," Kagami replied, her own eyes doing a little inspection of their own.

Upon reaching the table they had picked out, the two of them proceeded to sit opposite each other on a pair of wooden chairs, a couple of menus already neatly laid out in front of them. Before Kagami took hold of her own, she unstrapped the brown bag from her shoulder and placed it on an empty chair beside both of them. She then lifted her arm and pushed back the bangs that had fallen across her eyes as she smiled at Jayden, and picked up her menu herself, while his own was already in his hands. Despite his eagerness to order and eat something though, he couldn't help but notice the way the light of the sun above hit Kagami's hair again and the different shades of purple that it brought out. Her pigtails lightly blew as a result of the wind coming from the direction of the river, part of which could still be seen across the promenade.

With a blush on his face as he eventually started reading the menu himself, Jayden inwardly confirmed that this was a good table to sit at indeed.

* * *

After a quick initial scan of the menu pages, Kagami was pleasantly surprised to find out that there was quite a lot to choose from, even when it came to the different dressings. She hadn't had the time to check the restaurant out before going out with Jayden, which had worried her a little, but it was a definite relief seeing that it lived up to her expectations. Jayden's excited countenance as he looked through the menu with his brows scrunched and eyes narrowed a little was comforting to see as well, if not cute.

"Having a hard time deciding, Jayden?" Kagami asked him with an amused smile, the boy still appearing to be deep in thought even as he lifted his head to look at her.

"You could say that," he answered mirthfully with a slight nod, returning his gaze to the menu again after a moment. "Looking at what they're offering... I'm having a little trouble choosing. This time, there are actually English translations too, though I've noticed several mistakes in the menu already."

"Better stick to the Japanese names as long as you can understand them," Kagami replied in a light chuckle. "Poor English translation here is notorious, as you know."

"So I've observed," Jayden nodded, letting out a heartfelt laugh himself that made her widen her smile upon hearing.

Kagami's eyes then returned to the list of dishes, a lot of which were obviously meant to be shared, judging by their size. Perhaps they could order something to eat together?

She looked Jayden's way again to see the indecisive expression on his face once again, one of his hands rubbing his chin as he continued reading the menu. Just as she was about to ask him whether he wanted to share something from the list with her, he spoke first, looking at her inquisitively.

"What do you feel like eating, Kagami?" he asked her curiously.

"Oh— I was just wondering whether you'd like to get something for two," she then replied.

"Sounds good to me. What do you have in mind?" he inquired after a second with a nod of his head, turning the pages of the menu again.

"Well, I was thinking, maybe… there's this tuna tataki combo here that I'd like to try, if you want to," she offered, pointing her finger at her own menu and turning it for Jayden to see. Each of the items there had a picture of them beside their names and respective English translations, which was what Kagami was showing him.

"That looks really delicious," Jayden spoke with approval, but then furrowed his eyes a little, asking, "It seems big, though. Do you think we can eat it all?"

"I think we can handle it. Not so sure about any dessert afterwards though," Kagami replied with a shake of her head, smiling amusedly at him.

"Sadly, I agree," Jayden chuckled, leaning back on his chair as he did so, taking one more look at the tuna tataki combo shown on the page. "From the looks of it… it's going to be worth it, though. It does look really tasty, and I think I saw some people eating it here too."

"It should be good, I think. It's on the list of specials after all," Kagami replied hopefully, closing the menu and setting it down on the table.

Soon afterwards, the hurried waitress arrived at their table, greeted them and apologized for any time they might've spent waiting for her, and proceeded to take their order. Apart from the tuna tataki combo they had decided on, each of them ordered a glass of water for themselves to go with it too. Just before the waitress began to leave, Kagami suddenly remembered something and reminded her to bring a fork and a knife instead of chopsticks for Jayden, who seemed to have forgotten about that too. He looked a bit embarrassed as his cheeks flushed a little after he realized that he had.

"Thank you, Kagami," he told her after the waitress left, beaming at her. "I guess I should remember to clarify in the future."

"No problem, Jayden," Kagami reassured him with a smile of her own. "At least we found out that they don't only serve chopsticks here."

"That's certainly a relief," Jayden replied with another chuckle that Kagami returned herself.

After letting out a contented sigh, Kagami leaned back on the chair as she turned her head to take a glance at what little of the river could be seen from their table. The clear sky was reflected in the water, and so were the few small clouds above, on what was turning out to be a beautiful day in June. Even the people around who walked across the promenade wore smiles on their faces, a lot of them couples too. Like her and Jayden… a couple…

The thought put a smile on Kagami's face, as she also realized that she couldn't have asked for a better day for her first date with Jayden. She turned to face him again after the brief moment of silence, curiously noticing that he was rubbing the back of his neck and had a slight blush on his face as he looked at her.

"What are you thinking about, Jayden?" she inquired as she slightly tilted her head to the side.

"Well, you know, I was wondering… what exactly is tataki?" Jayden asked in a confused and obviously embarrassed tone that made her softly giggle.

"Jayden, you should ask that before ordering something," she told him with amusement in her voice, leaning forward and folding her arms on the table as she explained, "Tataki is a way of preparing the tuna. It's seared on the outside and then it's marinated in vinegar. I think."

"Ah, I see," Jayden nodded with understanding, and then added as he ran a hand through his hair while he smiled at her, "I didn't really think about it when I saw it on the picture. I just thought it was the name of the special or something."

"I guess I forgot to tell you about it before, Jayden, I'm sorry," Kagami told him as she shook her head a little, looking away for a bit as she added, "But you'll see the word often in restaurants, not just in preparing tuna, but for different fish and meat you can order too."

"It's no problem, it sounds like something I'd find tasty anyway," Jayden said to her reassuringly, putting his own hands on the round table and pulling the chair a little closer to it as he did so.

"I like it a lot, and I think you will too," Kagami then spoke, giving him a smile.

"The smell here is certainly making me eager for it," Jayden replied, looking to the side as he once again briefly inspected the other tables around and the people eating there. The hopefulness in his eyes was palpable as he looked at what the waitress was carrying then, though there was still no sign of their own order coming.

It didn't take long, however, for the tuna tataki combo to arrive, along with the two glasses of water they had asked for. Now, there was a plate placed between them, with several pieces of seared tuna neatly lined up, finished with scallions, along with a few potatoes and some rice, as well as a couple of sauces on either side of the plate. Even though it appeared smaller than it had been in the actual picture, it smelled delicious, and judging by the look on Jayden's face, he was certainly impressed with it himself.

"Whoa, this looks nice," he simply commented while the waitress beside them put the fork and knife down that he had requested on his side of the table. Kagami looked his way to see him give her a smile excitedly, feeling her own lips pull into one.

"The dressings on this plate are almost twice the amount of the actual tuna though," Kagami observed with amusement.

"It looks good regardless," Jayden observed, his hand already picking up the fork beside him. "What's interesting to me is how orderly it is too, but that's something pretty common here from what I've seen."

"Easier to split it between ourselves this way," Kagami remarked, picking up her chopsticks and grabbing the closest piece of tuna with them, taking one small bite to taste it. "Oh, this is delicious," she spoke as she looked at him mirthfully, still softly chewing on the meat.

"It really is," Jayden spoke with his eyes lit up, having taken a piece of tuna himself, returning her gaze happily. Kagami took another bite of her own, which she still held in her chopsticks and chewed on it, a curious blush on Jayden's face as he looked at her. It didn't take her long this time to figure out why that was so, feeling her cheeks flush too when she did.

"I guess I… I can't help it," she said to him with a somewhat nervous smile when she swallowed her piece of tuna, the noise she made while she chewed subsiding for the moment.

"I, uh, I don't mind it," Jayden told her as he rubbed the back of his neck, grabbing hold of a potato with his fork and adding after a few seconds, "It's… pretty cute, in fact."

"I'm— I'm not doing it on purpose or anything," Kagami quickly replied, looking away towards the river while finishing up with the last part of the tune piece she had in her chopsticks. She looked at him out of the corner of her eye, saying, "If it's distracting, I can—"

"No, don't worry about it," Jayden was quick to reply, waving his hand a little as he smiled at her, a blush on his face still. "It's just… nice seeing you enjoy food like that. Not the same way I do… completely devouring it like I'll do now, probably."

After a moment of registering what he said, Kagami couldn't help but softly smile back at him, continuing to chew on the tuna and involuntarily making the noise as she did, not making an effort to stop it.

"Well… that's cute in its own way too," she eventually retorted, turning her head back forward to him, brushing away the bangs that had fallen across her face. "But as you know, you'll not be able to savor the food for long that way."

"Yeah, but… I can't really help it either," Jayden answered with a chuckle before picking another mouthful, lightly scratching his cheek with a finger of his free hand.

"You know, you should try one of these sauces," Kagami soon said, dipping a piece of tuna she had just picked up in one of them. "This one here is soy sauce, and that one is ponzu," she explained to him with a nod of her head.

"What's ponzu?" Jayden inquired after a second with another confused look on his face he directed at the sauce. He hovered a potato he had picked up with his fork over the ponzu with obvious hesitation, almost distrust. "It's not something… really spicy, is it?"

"Don't worry, Jayden, it's not poison," Kagami couldn't help but let out a giggle at his reaction, smiling at him afterwards in her attempt to explain it to him. "Well, it's actually really similar to soy sauce, but it has a… somewhat more distinct taste, not spicy. It's a tart, a citrusy dipping sauce and it's often used for tataki meals like this one. You'd rather dip the tuna in it."

"I'm going to give it a shot, then," Jayden told her, seemingly intrigued. He quickly finished with the potato he had grabbed hold of and then dipped a new piece of tuna in the ponzu, proceeding to taste it. Glancing away from Kagami as he chewed it with a thoughtful expression on his face, his eyes eventually lit up again and looked back towards her, exclaiming through a full mouth, "Oh, this is really good!"

"I thought you'd like it," Kagami smiled back at him joyfully, and then noticed a slight smudge from the sauce next to his lower lip, on his right cheek. "You have a bit of ponzu there," she then said as she pointed at it with her index finger.

"Oh," he let out, taking the napkin that was next to his knife and rubbing it on his cheek, but missing the smudge by an inch or two. Looking at her inquisitively, he asked, "Did I get it?"

"No, it's a little more to your left," she answered, but Jayden was even further away from the smudge in his next attempt to wipe it off.

After a moment, Kagami took hold of her own napkin and leaned forward a little across the table, reaching out with it to clean the smear off herself.

"Your other left," she said to him when she started doing so, glancing towards his eyes for a moment and noticing the blush on his face, as well as the fact that his gaze was on hers too. She felt her cheeks flush in response and looked away from him to see that she had already wiped off the ponzu sauce, proceeding to lean back on her chair afterwards.

"Thanks," he then spoke with a smile on his face while rubbing the back of his neck, taking yet another mouthful of the slowly fading tuna and dipping it into the sauce, Kagami following suit.

While the size of the tuna tataki combo was certainly formidable, the plate it had been brought on was gradually emptied, Jayden's part of it disappearing faster than her own. He had eaten it so fast that he needed the time Kagami spent finishing off everything left to recover in the meantime by placing a hand over his stomach and lazily leaning back on his chair. She didn't need to do something like that herself when she ate the remainder of the tataki combo, though she definitely knew what he was feeling at that moment. When eating a lot of sweets like she sometimes did, she knew that she had to stuff them down as fast as possible if she didn't want anything to remain on the plate that she couldn't eat afterwards.

"Boy, this was so good," Jayden repeated with satisfaction, smiling contentedly, still appearing a little worn out, even after the few minutes that passed since he had eaten his own side of the meal.

"I take it you're not in the mood for an ice cream right now?" Kagami asked him, chuckling a little as she wiped her mouth with her napkin after finally setting down the chopsticks herself.

"Are you kidding? Any further and I think I'll faint," Jayden laughed in response, running a hand through his dark-shaded hair, his bangs casting a shadow over his light green eyes. He slightly narrowed them as he smiled at her softly, telling her, "Thank you for recommending this, Kagami, I really enjoyed it. And for taking me here."

"Well, it's the cooks here that deserve the praise," she replied with a smile of her own while she twisted a strand of hair with the finger of her hand, slightly blushing again. "But… I'm happy that you liked it, Jayden, I hoped you would… I did too."

As that was said, the waitress who had been serving them arrived at their table, taking the empty plate away and leaving the bill in its place. After some pleasantries were exchanged and she left, Kagami noticed that Jayden leaned forward and started rummaging through the pocket of his trousers.

"Don't worry about that, Jayden, I'll pay," Kagami then reassured him, taking the bag she had left on the empty seat beside them and opening it as she did. "I took you here, after all."

"I know that you did, but…" Jayden spoke in response, looking at her determinedly as he took out his wallet.

"Besides, I suggested what food we eat here too," she continued before Jayden could finish what he wanted to say.

"I know that too, but it's what I would've wanted as well, if I had known what it was before," Jayden retorted with a confident nod of his head. "At the very least, we can split it between ourselves."

With Jayden's insistence to pay at least something, they eventually decided on splitting the pay for the meal in half, with Kagami leaving the tip for the waitress. It wasn't long before she came over and took the money, proceeding to make a slight bow to the two of them, politely thanking them and wishing them a nice day in the process. They stayed there just a little bit longer while they consumed what little water they had left and decided to leave. Once she had stood up, Kagami pulled the bag over her shoulder and held out her hand to Jayden again with a smile. The boy soon took it into his own, wearing a joyful expression himself.

"Let's walk a little further down the promenade, if you want," Kagami told him, brushing a part of her bangs away from her face.

"Of course I do, Kagami," Jayden answered with a nod as he beamed at her, the couple standing still for a brief moment, their eyes locked together.

His gaze appeared so soft and tender whenever he looked at her like that, its lovely light green color drawing her in somehow…

She eventually looked away from him with another blush on her cheeks, proceeding to sigh contentedly before they continued down the promenade by the Kuki-shi river, joining the other people around who did the same.

The two of them slowly walked together with joined hands, smiles on both of their faces, neither one appearing to be in the slightest rush for anything, comforting silence falling upon them for a while. More time must have passed in the restaurant than it seemed to have, for the sky above had only slightly darkened already, the sun nearing the edge of the horizon, taller buildings of the business district visible further down the river.

Kagami recalled going through this part of the city a lot of times before, and it was certainly one of her favorite places in the entirety of Kuki-shi, as it was for a lot of other people she knew, including her sister. She didn't remember it being this much pleasant and relaxing before, though, and the boy she was with now doubtlessly contributed to that feeling. As she realized that, she couldn't help but look away from the river towards him again for a moment, simply smiling at him when she did, with the boy looking at her curiously but soon returning the gesture himself.

After some time, they eventually reached a familiar place in the promenade that she couldn't remember being to in a long while before.

"Ah," she then let out before pointing towards the street next to them, explaining, "The walkway continues on for a bit further ahead, but this is the way towards Takanomiya Shrine and our house. It's the route Tsukasa and I took back from grade school."

"Oh, I see," Jayden replied with a nod of his head, then looked at her curiously as he observed, "It looks like you haven't been around here in a while."

"No, there wasn't anything in the other part of the city for me to go to anymore. It brings back memories… it's nice."

"It must be. And it has to be great to simply spend time here again, this part of the city is really lovely," Jayden said to her as the two stood still for a while, Kagami nodding his way mirthfully in return. Turning her head around again, she noticed a sign for a bus stop right beside them, prompting her to look back in Jayden's direction hopefully as she spoke again.

"You're… you're not in a hurry are you?" she asked him, slightly nervous of the thought. "I know it's getting late, and the city bus line is close by, but if you want to walk me home…"

"Oh, of course, Kagami," Jayden told her warmly with a slight shake of his head, smiling at her again. "I'd love to."

When she smiled back at him, lightly squeezing his hand, Kagami couldn't help but feel relieved – she found herself not wanting this date to end any sooner than necessary, nor did she want to leave Jayden's side just yet. They'd see each other over the week in school, of course, but… this was different. It was the two of them together, now a couple, alone… and as she was happily finding out today, the experience was certainly different that way.

They continued on the street towards the shrine, little colorful houses on either side of them with small courtyards in front, most of them filled with recently blossomed trees. Kagami breathed in the spring air which contained their lovely scent, heavily exhaling afterwards with obvious contentment. Jayden looked like he was just about to follow her example when he turned his head away from her to lightly sneeze.

"Bless you," Kagami said to him, looking at him with concern when he returned his gaze to her. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, don't worry, I am, it's just… something that always irritates me during this time of year when outside," he told her after a second.

"Hmm…" she hummed thoughtfully, contemplating for a bit before telling him, "You must be allergic to something… and since we're just passing by these courtyards here, I'd say it's probably grass pollen."

"You think so?" he asked her, a thoughtful expression on his own face. "Why do I only seem to feel this way during these couple of months, though?"

"Because that's when pollen is released in the air… during late spring and early summer, as far as I know," Kagami explained to him. "It's a really common allergy."

"Oh," Jayden let out, rubbing the back of his neck with a nervous smile and a blush. "I didn't know that… I actually had no idea about this allergy before, but you might be right..."

Kagami couldn't help but giggle a little at his reaction before responding to him.

"Don't worry, Jayden, I didn't know any of this before Miyuki explained this to us one day. She has this too, if I remember right."

"It wouldn't be the first thing I've learned from her," Jayden said in a chuckle that Kagami mirthfully returned herself.

* * *

After having made a few turns on the way, an archway had become visible at the end of the street, with crowds of people amassed around the stalls and markets around. Jayden hadn't seen the place that busy before, but he hadn't been there on a Sunday, after all. He scanned their surroundings as he and Kagami walked through the archway above, this time from a different direction than he had gotten used to. Soon enough, the couple became a part of the rather noisy crowd around them.

"Look, Jayden," Kagami excitedly said beside him, squeezing his hand a little as she did, pointing towards a building right next to them that was closed down on the front with a chain. "I haven't shown you this before, right? This is the actual shrine that people pray at – look at the saisen bako at the top of the steps."

"Saisen bako?" Jayden repeated curiously, following Kagami's gaze towards what appeared to be a rectangular table right in front of the entrance of the shrine.

"It's an offering box," she told him then, the two of them looking in the direction of the shrine while she continued explaining. "The way you do it is you first make your offering into the box, bow twice, clap your hands a couple of times, and then pray for a few seconds."

"What's that above it?" Jayden asked her, pointing towards something that looked like a bell hanging on a string right next to the offering box.

"This is called a suzu. You ring it before you begin praying to get God's attention," Kagami answered him. "Not every shrine has one, though."

"Ah, I see," Jayden spoke in a nod, returning his gaze to Kagami, smiling at her. "My father's told me a lot about this place when I was young, but I must've forgotten a lot of things he's said. I haven't made such an offering before."

"You've probably never drawn a fortune like these ones before either," Kagami nodded her head towards one of the shops right next to them with the word "omikuji" on top of the stall, and a rushed shopkeeper dealing with a lot of clients gathered in front of her.

"Why would you spend money buying one when you can simply draw from one of these here?" Jayden asked confusedly, pointing at a small arch that had several threads hanging from the top, all of which were full of similar pieces of paper tied to them. Before Kagami replied to him, she let out a soft giggle, the pleasant sound of it making his lips pull into a smile but also causing his brows to lift curiously as he looked at her again.

"These are fortunes that people have already bought," she proceeded to explain to him, amusement still in her cheerful voice. "Usually you'd tie the fortune there or at a nearby tree if it's one that brings you bad luck."

"Ah," Jayden simply spoke, blushing a little with embarrassment as he looked away to the tree again. "And here I was just about to suggest… stealing other people's fortunes, apparently."

"I thought you didn't really believe in things like this anyway, like drawing fortunes," Kagami replied, a smile on her face still.

"Well, I don't… but it would still be a fun thing to do together with you," he answered, looking back at her and returning her smile.

"Oh…" Kagami let out, her cheeks coloring slightly as she pushed away a lock of hair behind her ear before saying, "I mean, I don't really place any importance on them either, but… if you'd like, we can buy a couple together. It'd be fun for me too."

"Yeah, I do," Jayden nodded enthusiastically, Kagami's smile widening at his response.

"Then let's get in line," she told him excitedly, already proceeding to lead him towards the queue that had begun forming up in front of the shop.

A few minutes passed before their turn finally came, the time spent with Jayden asking Kagami a few more questions about things he noticed when he looked around past the crowds. He now knew that the ceremonial dances during the incoming festival would be held at an elevated platform close by. Apart from what stalls that would open by then, Kagami also told him where the fireworks would be set off too, and the souvenir shops that would become available by then too.

With their strips of paper purchased, Kagami and Jayden went out of the way to allow for people who had gathered behind them to proceed further.

"Alright, let's see what we have," Kagami then said excitedly, unfolding her own paper, a dumbfounded look on her face when she did. "Half luck?"

"That's… better than no luck, right?" Jayden asked her, opening his own afterwards and reading aloud the letters with confusion, "Partial luck?"

"These must be some new ones… they aren't the ones Tsukasa and I help prepare for the festivals," Kagami spoke, her eyebrows slightly furrowed as she took a glance at Jayden's own strip of paper. "I haven't gotten such fortunes before."

"Is partial luck better than half luck?" Jayden inquired. Partial luck… so much for his first fortune drawn.

"Well, depends on whether the part of luck you have is bigger than half of it," Kagami answered with amusement in her voice.

"It doesn't quite specify," Jayden chuckled in response, grinning at Kagami as he asked her, "Are ours bad enough to consider tying to a tree or something, then?"

"I don't know," she replied with a shrug of her shoulders, a thoughtful expression on her face for a moment before she said to him, "It's not like it really matters either way, but… let's put them up there anyway, if you want."

"Yeah, let's do that," Jayden nodded approvingly, the two of them heading to the small arch nearby and tying their fortunes there.

"At least you got to experience drawing a fortune like this, Jayden," Kagami then said to him, taking hold of his hand again, adjusting the strap of her bag with her other arm.

"Japanese fortunes are pretty ambiguous," Jayden spoke in a laugh, proceeding to squeeze her hand a little afterward, smiling at her softly as he said, "It was fun, but as far as I'm concerned… I know what my real luck has been recently, and with what's happened… I'd say it's certainly been much more than just… partial."

Kagami kept on looking at him while they walked through the shrine, curiosity evident in her bluish eyes, a blush having formed on Jayden's face in the meantime. After a brief moment during which her gaze was locked on his once again, Kagami's own cheeks flushed a little as she gave him a soft smile.

"Oh," she initially let out a few seconds after what he had said to her, proceeding to tell him, "I feel the same way about my own luck, Jayden."

Their eye contact found itself unwavering for a while afterward as they passed by the rest of the shrine's stalls and markets, already finding themselves near the street that the Hiiragi household was located in. The sky above had already taken on an orange tint, the sunset lighting covering the empty road they were walking on now and the houses around.

There was a pleasant, cool air hitting the two of them, causing Kagami's pigtails to slightly brush against Jayden's shoulder as they walked side by side, their hands still intertwined. The contact prompted him to look at her again, making him see how her face was hit by the same sunset lighting, her beauty seemingly accentuated even more that way. The orange color of the sky was somehow present in her bluish eyes as a slight glimmer, while the rosy blush on her smooth cheeks was there once again as she looked back at him, her lips parting in surprise when she did. Her face gained a little more color when she returned his gaze, wearing a curious expression that stayed for a while until she closed her mouth again. Jayden couldn't help but notice the way it slightly fidgeted, making him remember what her kiss had felt like the day before, his mind suddenly racing with the thought of it happening again, wanting to...

It wasn't until a moment though when Kagami spoke, bringing him out of his reverie, her free hand moving from the strap of her bag to a caress a loose pigtail in front of her.

"I'm sorry, it's just, uh… your eyes… they're really pretty," she told him through her blush, her voice slightly nervous as she did, but she kept on looking at him when she said it.

"Oh, no, don't worry," Jayden first replied to her after a moment worriedly, rubbing the back of his neck a little before adding, "Thank you… and it's not like I haven't had the habit of... staring sometimes myself, but… I can't help it, Kagami. Your eyes are beautiful."

"Thank you," she soon answered as she smiled happily, her hand still moving across the length of the pigtail loose in front of her, looking away from him for a bit afterwards. She proceeded to glance at the Hiiragi household that the two of them were slowly approaching before returning his gaze again and saying, "And… thank you for today too, Jayden. I had a wonderful time."

"I did too, Kagami," Jayden spoke sincerely, brushing the bangs away from his face to have a better view of her, noticing the way her eyes sparkled at him. Despite the fact that his mind continued to race, he could bring himself to say, "If anything, I should be thanking you for how much I've enjoyed this... for taking me to that restaurant, and for… making this possible in the first place."

Kagami looked away from him a bit again with a smile on her face, the two of them having slowed down their approach to the Hiiragi household a few meters ahead of them.

"Both of us did," she eventually said a little quietly but clearly, her voice happy and soft.

They already found themselves at the front gate of her house, a part of Jayden already wishing they had walked even slower than they had. Looking in Kagami's direction again, he felt her hand squeeze his a little, her gaze having shifted to his again, her cheeks still flushed, the look on her eyes both warm and somehow intense at the same time. Her purple hair was alluringly brightened under the sunset light, a couple of her pigtails were touching his shoulder again as they blew in the wind. Her mouth was parted, and it fidgeted a little again when he looked at it, the subtle movement making his eyes return to hers again, which were locked on his own lips.

Jayden's heartbeat quickened, the desire to feel Kagami's kiss once more prevalent on his mind, already drawn in by the way her eyes somehow shone when she looked at him the way she did now. In a second, however, they fluttered closed as she slowly started leaning towards him, a gesture he found himself mimicking, the need to kiss her again putting all conscious thought away from his mind.

It left him to simply relish in the feeling of her lips tenderly brushing against his, the taste somehow even sweeter than it had been the first time. He felt like he couldn't get enough of it as their kiss continued, his hand instinctively relinquishing hers and moving around her waist while she started wrapping hers around his neck. Both of them deepened the soft contact of their lips that way, leaning a little more towards each other, embracing.

Even this time, Jayden could hardly believe that what was happening was real. He thought he had processed it, that he had made sure that this wasn't a dream, but the inexplicably beautiful feeling of being kissed by Kagami still made him fear that it was.

Just as it had happened before however, those doubts were removed when their kiss eventually ended and Jayden opened his eyes and saw Kagami's looking back at him from up close. The depth in her tender gaze, the color of her blush, her smile and scent… This felt too real to be a dream, not just the kiss itself, but the entire first date he just had with her.

Their breaths were on each other's faces during the brief moment until he leaned in one more time to softly brush his mouth against hers again in a short kiss that she eagerly returned, her lips having pulled into a smile from his gesture. It wasn't long before they pulled away from each other, both of them still blushing a little.

"Think you have it in you to eat dinner now after that tataki of ours?" Jayden simply asked Kagami after a brief moment of silence, a chuckle escaping her mouth before she replied.

"I'll have to try my best," she told him, loosening the grip around his shoulders and moving one of her hands away from him to brush the bangs away from her face. "I wouldn't want to disappoint my mother, after all. Or any of my sisters, if they're doing the cooking…"

"I might go a little easy for dinner this time myself," Jayden replied, pulling his hand away from her and proceeding to rub his neck with it.

"But… make sure you have something sweet after that too," Kagami reminded, looking at him with her smile still wide on her face.

"Of course," Jayden spoke with a chuckle of his own. "A tataki of that size deserves a proper dessert."

"Mhm," Kagami said in response, proceeding to sigh contentedly as she briefly took hold of his hand again with hers. "Another school week's coming up… I hope we get to go out like this again soon, Jayden."

"Me too, Kagami," Jayden retorted sincerely with a slight nod of his head.

"I mean… if we don't have too much schoolwork to do, and both of us have the time, that is… we can do this again sometime next week," Kagami spoke hopefully, smiling at him as she pulled a lock of hair behind her ear, her whole figure still illuminated by the light of the sunset.

"I'd like that," Jayden nodded once more. "Until we see how the schedule's going to be like… we'll see each other at school."

"Yeah, we will," Kagami replied with another sigh, the two of them staying briefly silent again before she said with a smile, "Well… until tomorrow then, Jayden."

"Until then, Kagami," he answered, beaming back at her.

A part of Jayden was reluctant to let go of Kagami's hand when he did, who then proceeded to search for her key in the bag that she carried with her, taking a couple of steps towards the gate of their household. He stayed there to watch her with his hands in his pockets while Kagami unlocked the gate, immediately looking back at him afterward, the blush on her cheeks still visible even under the shadow of the tree in the courtyard. The two exchanged another smile between themselves before the dreaded moment of Kagami finally closing down the gate.

Jayden remained where he was for a brief moment as he sighed and collected his thoughts, taking a glance at his wristwatch to see that there was still no rush for him to return home for dinner. With that realized, he eventually turned around and slowly started heading back home, his thoughts fondly going back to the girl he had just been with.

For his first date with her, there was rarely a moment where a part of him wasn't nervous at least a little bit… but being with her as her boyfriend, as he was continually finding out… it felt right. And it was in no small part thanks to Kagami herself, who helped him put worries of that nature behind, hence allowing him to simply enjoy being with her. And he did, even more than he thought he would… and now, he couldn't wait to get to do this again.

For now, however, as he walked back home, he could simply reflect on today's moments together with her, and smile at the memories.

* * *

The joyful expression didn't quite fade from Kagami's face as she entered her house, her mind still drifting around her boyfriend and her first date with him, and the kiss he had just given her…

She took off her shoes and left them next to the doormat as she entered the corridor and started heading towards her room, noticing her twin sister on the way through the open door to the dining room. The TV there was running, and Tsukasa was watching it intently with the remote in her hand before she noticed Kagami and returned her gaze, instantly smiling at her.

"Sis, you're back," she stated joyfully, watching as Kagami entered the room, turning around on the couch to face her better. "How did it go?"

"It went great," Kagami replied, proceeding to sit down on the couch next to Tsukasa, putting down the bag she was carrying as she did. "It was just... I had so much fun with him."

"That's great, Sis," Tsukasa exclaimed, beaming at her twin. "Did he like the seafood restaurant you thought of taking him to?"

"Yeah, he really did," Kagami answered cheerfully, returning her sister's gaze with a smile. "The food there was still great, as I remember it being. Jayden and I had the tuna tataki combo together."

"Oh, that must have been big," Tsukasa replied, her eyes almost widening.

"It was," Kagami spoke, lifting her brows affirmatively while she nodded. "There were a lot of other things I noticed on the menu too, like a tempura shrimp meal, which you would've liked a lot. We should definitely go there sometime."

"Oh, yes, I'd be happy to go there again. It sounds like what you had was delicious," Tsukasa answered enthusiastically, proceeding to join her hands together excitedly as she asked, "And after that? Did you kiss again?"

"Yeah, we did," Kagami retorted, feeling the blush on her face appear once again as she smiled, looking away towards the TV for a second as she recalled the moment. She held her gaze there as she continued, "We went down the promenade next to the river – where you and I used to go to back when we were going to grade school. He walked me all the way home from there."

"Oh, that place is so romantic…" Tsukasa said with her eyes lit up again, obviously excited. "A lot of people in Kuki-shi go there on dates, I know that mum and dad have."

"I didn't really think of that before, I just thought of the restaurant… but it was right there," Kagami spoke with equal enthusiasm. "I can certainly understand why it's such a popular place."

"Especially on a nice day like this," Tsukasa added, her twin sister nodding again in agreement and sighing contentedly, silence falling upon them for a few seconds before Kagami leaned forward from her seat again.

"I'm just going to freshen up a little and change, and we'll talk more then," she told Tsukasa, proceeding to ask her curiously, "Did you get the wards and power stones you wanted to buy?"

"I did, I found a few really cheap ones at one of the stalls in the shrine," Tsukasa replied with an excited smile on her face. "They were very pretty anyway, so I wanted to have them."

"Well, the important thing is that you're not worrying about our eighteenth birthday anymore," Kagami retorted.

"No, I'm not," Tsukasa answered with a shake of her head.

"That's good. I'd like to see them too," Kagami said, standing up from the couch and picking up her bag after a moment, returning her sister's gaze again before leaving through the door, saying, "I'll be right back, Tsukasa."

With a nod, she proceeded to go back to her room, opening the door and leaving her bag on the desk, her thoughts involuntarily going back to Jayden once more. She proceeded to open the window to let the pleasant air from outside in again, taking just a minute or two to look at the darkening sky while slightly leaning out, placing her hands on the lower frame.

At that moment, Kagami couldn't help but be reminded of the way Jayden had looked at her just a little while ago, the many shades of his green eyes in the sunset lighting, how infectious his smile had been, how cute he looked when he blushed… She could tell he was nervous before they had their kiss, but she knew that he wanted it to happen too. It wasn't their first, but it wasn't as impulsive as yesterday's had been – this time, she had been thinking about it for a while before it happened, especially since what he said to her at the shrine...

As she sighed with contentment again, she eventually went to prepare herself for dinner and talk to Tsukasa some more, with Jayden still very much on her mind when she did.

Her twin sister definitely knew the reason why she was in such a good mood during dinner that day. The fact that tomorrow was Monday didn't seem to even slightly bother her.


	15. 10th of June, 2013

**Someone Else**

**Chapter 15: 10****th**** of June, 2013**

The subway ride to school on the Monday morning was mostly quiet, pleasantly so, even during the times when it was brought to a halt to allow commuters to either get in or out at the respective stops. Inside one of the cars, Kagami had sat down with her twin sister beside her, her school satchel on her lap as she leaned on the back of her seat with a relaxed countenance. With a smile on her face, she looked out of the window opposite her when the transport had momentarily surfaced, revealing the clear pleasant weather outside, until it entered underground again.

"Do you have history class with Ms. Kuroi first today, Tsukasa?" Kagami asked her sister curiously, turning her head to face her.

"I think so, yes," Tsukasa replied, leaning back herself, clutching her satchel with her hands. "And literature class after that, I believe. What about you, Sis?"

"Math and physics," Kagami answered.

"Oh… I forgot that you have a much worse start of the week," Tsukasa said while lightly scratching her cheek with a finger of her hand.

"It's not that bad," Kagami spoke, letting out a chuckle. "But it's true that I would've liked something different instead to begin with."

"At least neither of us had a lot to study for this week," Tsukasa retorted, turning her head back to the satchel on her lap. "I'm worried that they'll give us so much to do before summer break begins, though."

"If it's anything like last year, then I'm expecting a lot of homework and tests again," Kagami said, sighing a little as she looked away herself to the opposite bench. "And the midterm exams are approaching as well."

"Right after our birthday, too…" Tsukasa replied nervously, shaking her head a little. "I'm always just trying to think that there's a long break afterward when I study for midterms."

"I know it's hard, but you should start studying earlier," Kagami spoke, smiling at her sister as she added, "Little by little from here on out, instead of all out one week before. Less pressure on you that way too."

"Yes, I know, Sis, I'll try," Tsukasa answered while her hands fumbled around with her satchel. "I made a schedule last year like that, but I ended up leaving everything for the last few days."

"We could start off together," Kagami said to her earnestly, bringing Tsukasa's gaze back to her own. "That way it could be easier for you to continue at your own pace."

"That sounds like it could help…" Tsukasa replied uncertainly, then nodded her head affirmatively after a moment, returning Kagami's smile as she did. "Thank you, Sis. We could try that."

"It's no problem, Tsukasa. I imagine it'll be easier for me that way too," Kagami nodded back, soon adding as she gave it some thought, "I don't know what Jayden's plans are, but we could meet up to study together with him sometime as well and share notes, if everybody's up to it."

"I know that I've certainly missed something when writing notes myself," her sister answered, her cheeks colored a little as she gave Kagami a smile.

"We probably all have," Kagami told her reassuringly, a moment of silence falling upon them for a little bit while the subway made its next stop.

Crowds of people were leaving and entering at Minami Saitama, which was where Konata usually left at herself. It reminded Kagami of the fact that she hadn't spoken to her friend about her and Jayden yet, and of her intentions to do so today.

When it started going again, Kagami turned her head again to face Tsukasa as she said, "About Jayden and me… I'm thinking of talking to him today about telling the rest about us. Konata and Miyuki, that is."

"Oh," Tsukasa let out, and then nodded in reply. "It's true that we haven't seen them since you got together…"

"I think it's best if the two of us spoke to them about it in person," Kagami continued, pulling back a pigtail that had hung loose in front of her. "I'm worried about how Konata will take it… I mean, she said it would be okay with her, but I still can't help but be a little anxious."

"I don't want Kona-chan to feel sad again either," Tsukasa replied after a moment, staying silent for a while before Kagami spoke again.

"She has recovered well since then," she said, smiling at Tsukasa as she did. "And she helped me realize what I felt for Jayden too… so I'll stay positive about telling her."

"Well… I doubt it would be a surprise to her anyway," Tsukasa spoke with a hopeful tone in her voice, beaming back at Kagami.

"It's still different for her to know it's happened," Kagami remarked, letting out a sigh, but then adding hopefully herself, "I think it will be alright, though."

The two sisters shared a nod between themselves as that was said, with Kagami remaining optimistic about revealing the recent turn of events to her friend. She knew that Konata's feelings for both her and Jayden can't have vanished completely, or at least something would've still been there. After having that talk with her in the school library, however, and seeing the way she recovered over the next few days, gave her hope that Konata would accept her and Jayden being together.

With another sigh, Kagami looked up at the navigation screen on the car they were in afterwards. The stop at the center of Kasukabe was still at least ten minutes away, which quickly passed by as the transport continued along its route.

It wasn't long before Kagami and Tsukasa found themselves standing outside the doors, waiting for them to open for their own stop. As it was the center of Kasukabe they were getting off at, there were a lot of other people waiting around them too, and more often than not the subway was emptied afterwards, only a handful of passengers remaining for the last few stops.

Kagami put her satchel over her shoulder as she got out of the car, looking behind her to see Tsukasa doing the same thing once the doors had opened.

"We're not going to be late, are we?" Tsukasa worriedly asked, looking at the digits on the clock on the station wall.

"Don't worry, there are twenty minutes until our first class," Kagami answered reassuringly, giving her sister a smile as she did. "We'll make it."

After adjusting the short sleeve of her summer seifuku, she started leading both of them to the closest exit to the route to school. She had started thinking of asking Tsukasa about the new mobile phone she was going to be given by her parents when her eyes registered the movement of a certain someone ahead of them. Even if all Kagami could see was his back, it was obvious to her that the person was Jayden, who had apparently just gotten out of the same subway they had. He was wearing his school uniform, walking slightly leaned back with his hands in the pockets of his trousers, the subtle dark green nuances on his black hair noticeable to her even from this far. The only thing that was missing, as she noticed with amusement, was the music player that was still in her possession.

"Tsukasa, it's Jayden," Kagami told her sister, looking back at her while nodding towards the boy, proceeding to stride in his direction, almost sprinting, Tsukasa in tow. It was a good thing that Jayden was taking his time getting to school and wasn't in the slightest rush despite being arguably late, otherwise she would've had to run to get to him.

"Jayden!" she exclaimed when they got within earshot of him.

The boy then turned around to look at her, a surprised expression on his face, which turned almost immediately into a soft smile that he directed at her. He brushed the bangs away from his face with his hand as she and Tsukasa approached and stood still until they did.

"Hey," he said to both of them, appearing a little sleepy but otherwise mirthful.

"Morning, Jayden-san," Tsukasa replied with a smile, one which Jayden returned, proceeding to softly look at Kagami for a moment. Even this early in the morning, his eyes still somehow lit up as he looked at her that way, and she felt color rising in her cheeks when he did. She couldn't help but be reminded once again of their date only the day before.

"I didn't know you were on the same subway," Jayden told them after a second, his hand rubbing the back of his neck as his gaze switched between the two sisters, a slight blush on his own face. "I was in one of the first cars, I think."

"We usually enter one of the central cars when they're not too crowded," Kagami said in a nod while her hand adjusted the strap of her satchel.

"I have to remember that then," Jayden said with another smile on his face. "I usually board the subway pretty randomly, even if there are a lot of people inside the car."

"I'm afraid of getting into one with too many people," Tsukasa said in response, blushing a little. "If I get sucked into the crowd inside, I may not be able to get out afterward in time for my stop."

"Good thing this line doesn't get crowded often in the morning," Jayden spoke in a nod, but still looking somewhat nervous as he glanced in Kagami's direction again, his hand still on his neck.

When Kagami glanced sideways to Tsukasa, she noticed that she had an expectant look on her face as she clutched to her satchel with her hands crossed. After a couple of seconds more passed, it dawned on her that this is the first time he and her sister had seen each other since she got together with him.

Pushing back a lock of hair behind her ear, Kagami then turned her head to face Jayden as she said reassuringly with a smile, "I told Tsukasa how good that tataki we had turned out to be on our date yesterday."

"Oh, yes," Tsukasa soon spoke, beaming at Jayden herself, nodding at him as she said, "I heard you two had a very good time, Jayden-san."

"We did," Jayden replied after a moment, relief evident on his face, proceeding to throw Kagami a glance while his cheeks flushed again. His gaze went back to Tsukasa as he shuffled with his feet a little before saying to her, "It was... pretty hectic last week, with everything that happened and all... so much that we haven't talked since Kagami and I started dating. You're… okay with that?"

"I am," Tsukasa replied sincerely, keeping the smile on her face. "I'm very happy that you and Sis got together."

"Oh," Jayden let out as he returned Tsukasa's smile, rubbing the back of his neck again. Looking at Kagami once more with the blush still on his face, he added, "I am too."

"I'm glad, because… it was very sad with Kona-chan feeling down for so long," Tsukasa continued, brushing her hands together a little nervously while looking down for a second, then returning Jayden's gaze. "It's just… nice that things are getting better… like this."

"They are," Kagami assured, feeling her own cheeks flush again as she looked at Jayden.

"Thank you, Tsukasa," Jayden added, softly smiling at the younger Hiiragi twin, who nodded and smiled back in response, closing her eyes mirthfully.

After a moment of silence had passed between them, Kagami shifted her gaze between Tsukasa and Jayden as she said, "We might be getting a little late for school."

"Oh, right," Jayden then spoke, letting out a soft chuckle. "I mean, I think I was pretty late as it is."

Before Kagami gave him any reply, she held out her hand for him, giving him a reassuring smile again when he saw a bit of hesitation on his side. It subsided quickly, however, with him nodding her way as he took it and locked his fingers with hers again. Kagami glanced her sister's way to see her smiling at them herself, taking it as a sign that it was okay. Relieved, she let herself feel the warmth of Jayden's hand in hers in the somewhat cold morning.

"You didn't seem particularly rushed knowing that," Kagami then grinned at him teasingly, the three of them starting to head up the stairs of the subway station, distancing themselves from the sound of another transport already approaching.

"Well, I thought I could still make it, since Ms. Kuroi is usually late herself," Jayden replied with amusement.

"If only we can be lucky with that today too," Tsukasa added hopefully.

"Now that you mention it, she does have the tendency to show up a few minutes into the class when it's the first one of the day," Kagami answered, furrowing her eyebrows a little in mock suspicion.

"Well, when I left _Surface Breach _last night, she and Konata were still teamed up together," Jayden spoke, the three of them now outside in the central square of Kasukabe, pretty active as Kagami had always remembered it being. "I can't say how much longer into the night she's played."

"Then both her and Kona-chan might be late," Tsukasa retorted.

"Oh, so you managed to play the game with Konata yesterday?" Kagami then asked curiously, turning her head to look at him.

"Yeah, I did," Jayden answered in a nod. "She had left me a few messages when I returned."

"I wanted to talk to you about that, actually," Kagami replied, brushing the bangs away from her face before she looked at him seriously, saying to him, "I haven't said anything to her yet about us yet… I was thinking that we tell her and Miyuki today in person together. I mean, unless you've already said anything to her in the game…"

"No, I didn't," Jayden spoke in a slight shake of his head. The three of them continued walking sideways down the narrow path from the center towards Ryōō, with Kagami being in the center and holding Jayden's hand, her sister right beside them. Jayden continued, "I thought it'd be better if I talked to you about it first, actually… You think she will be fine with it?"

"I do," Kagami told him, smiling at him reassuringly. She blushed a little again, running her hand through a pigtail of her hair before she added, "You know, it was actually her who… kind of helped me realize that I was attracted to you in the first place. And I've talked to her before, and she said she'd be okay with us together."

"Oh," Jayden let out in surprise, then quickly returned Kagami's smile through a blush of his own. "That's good to hear, then… I admit I've been feeling nervous about it."

"It should be fine, I think," Kagami reassured him, squeezing his hand a little as she did. "And I don't believe it would be a surprise to her."

"Yeah, you're right," Jayden simply said as he nodded, visibly easing up. "And I couldn't talk to her over the game if I wanted to. The guild pressured everyone to get through a dungeon in _Emergence _and I barely made it in time."

"It's better that we do it in person anyway," Kagami told him, nodding back.

"Kona-chan should be happy for you too," Tsukasa chimed in again after a moment with her eyes closed in mirth. The couple looking in her direction as she added, "You're both good friends to her, after all."

"Thank you for saying that, Tsukasa," Kagami spoke to her appreciatively, Jayden nodding along as he smiled himself.

The three continued making their way through the street, the weather outside still as pleasant as it had been the last couple of days. The slightly cold air from the early hours of the morning eventually stopped blowing, the rising sun above warmly touching people's faces instead. As Kagami shared another glance with Jayden while they walked, she couldn't help but remain optimistic, the hope she felt visible on her feature, which was strengthened by Jayden's own upbeat expression and the gentle squeeze of his hand. It reminded her that she wouldn't be alone in this, and that was the one thing that relaxed her more than anything else.

Her worry now was potentially being scolded by Mr. Shinu for arriving late for math class, and that never turned out good for anyone.

* * *

With history class finally over, Konata closed down her notebook with a sigh as the people around her started getting up from their seats. She also put down the pen she had used to idly draw on the paper and occasionally scribble some date or another from the lecture. Konata and Ms. Kuroi didn't fail to share another triumphant glance between themselves before the teacher went out of the rapidly emptying classroom, an acknowledgement of their victory in the Diabolical Pits of Shame, a rather lustrous one at that. She couldn't remember a time when the rest of the party had been down and she was left to defeat the nearly invincible boss on her own with Ms. Kuroi by her side, but this had been one of those instances, and both had performed rather flawlessly. It was almost unfair that the loot was still divided up between the whole team as always, but she guessed that it was the rather faulty mechanics of the game that showed through at times like these.

A thought crossing Konata's mind made her smile at her teacher before she left as well, for she had been surprised to see that for the first time, Ms. Kuroi did not reprimand her once during the game for staying as late as she did. It was not something she had the intention of reminding her though, and after all, she was not the one who ended up late for the start of the class.

It wasn't long after Konata pulled out the lunchbox from her satchel when Tsukasa and Miyuki already brought a couple of chairs to sit next to her with their own food ready in their hands.

"It was too much to hope that Ms. Kuroi wouldn't give us anything to do after that exam break," Konata commented snidely as soon as they sat down, explaining when she saw their bewildered faces, "It's only first class and we're already given a history paper to write for next week."

"I was hoping we would have more time to relax too," Tsukasa replied with understanding while taking out the bento from her lunchbox, smiling ruefully as she added, "With midterms on the way, I'm scared I won't have the time to study and do homework at the same time."

"Doing homework on the subject is another way of studying for the exams," Miyuki remarked with a nod of her head, gesturing her hand towards Tsukasa. "So that way you can combine the two, if you can remember what you've learned while doing homework."

"School is not too different from a MMO game," Konata spoke, her two friends looking at her curiously when she did. With amusement, she knew that she had to elaborate, proceeding to do so as she closed her eyes and folded her arms. "To succeed in a MMO, you always need new gear to advance, maximize your different skills as much as possible, constantly learn new tactics to defeat various enemies, face boss fights every once and a while too – never a dull moment. You aren't given any rest in school either."

As she said that with a hit of curious realization hitting her, she opened her eyes and put her hand on her chin thoughtfully, looking upwards as she said, "You'd expect that when I'm so good at one, I'd be just as good in the other too…"

The confused stares she got from Miyuki and Tsukasa subsided when Jayden approached the group from his seat in the classroom, turning the girls' attention to him when he did. He had brought, as always, some kind of sandwich with him for lunch instead of what the usual student in the school did.

"Jayden, you know you were lucky today," Konata remarked as soon as she saw him, the boy looking at her with confusion before she once again had to elaborate, "With Ms. Kuroi arriving just after you did. You would've had some explaining to do, since you don't have an excuse like I do."

"And you do?" Jayden asked with amusement in his voice, his brows lifted expectantly while he pulled up the chair and sat down on her left.

"Of course. I was in the game until late and she knows that I need my sleep to perform well in class," Konata spoke, picking up her chopsticks to eat some of the food from her bento, but still looking at him as she explained, "But you logged off much before that and you were still late. More than me, actually. Missing out on a good dungeon run too."

"I left home a bit later today than usual so I missed the first subway by a minute or two," Jayden explained, proceeding to take a bite from his sandwich, his eyes frequently glancing in the direction of the classroom door with curious expectation.

"Sis and I met up with him in the central station," Tsukasa chimed in with a nod of her head. "That's why we were late too."

"I know that you have trouble waking up often, Tsukasa, so I assumed that was why you were late," Konata told her, the purple-haired girl blushing a little at her words and nervously continued eating from her food. Glancing at Jayden again, Konata asked, "Why did you leave so late, then?"

"Well…" Jayden began, his own cheeks coloring a little as he began chewing on a piece of his sandwich suspiciously longer than normal, finally gulping and looking downward as he explained, "I searched through my whole room for my missing player this morning and I thought I had lost it somewhere. Well, I may have panicked a little... It took me a while to remember that I had actually given it to Kagami a few days ago."

"Ah, so Tsukasa's not the only one here who is definitely not a morning person. Why, you've managed to keep this from us for a long time," Konata spoke with amusement as she teasingly smirked at the boy after a moment, though she could feel inner curiosity as to why Kagami had Jayden's music player in the first place, her brows furrowing. After she swallowed a piece of her meat, she decided to continue on teasing him instead of asking anything. "It must be embarrassing, I know."

"I'm certainly not, I admit," Jayden spoke in a laugh, his hand rubbing the back of his neck for a moment. "Waking up this much early will take even more time to fully get used to as well."

"You've had two months for that," Konata didn't fail to point out as she smirked again. "No excuses like that work anymore."

"There have been times when I have been tempted to drink a cup of coffee in the morning," Miyuki said while smiling meekly at Konata and Jayden. "I have to wake up even earlier because of where I live, but I am used to going to sleep much earlier too, so that is not an issue for me anymore."

"At least you have a subway station close by like we do," Tsukasa told her with a smile of her own.

"It is not possible to live in Tokyo and not have a station within at least five minutes from you," Miyuki replied before taking a piece of fish from her bento herself.

"I'm lucky because there aren't that many stations in Kuki-shi," Jayden spoke, his eyes once again on the door of the class, a visible smile appearing on his face, which caused Konata to curiously follow his gaze to see Kagami approaching the group, already waving their way as she did.

"Hey," she told them joyfully, the others greeting her as well in reply.

"How did math class go, Sis?" Tsukasa asked her twin, turning her head in Kagami's way, concern etched on her face.

"It was better than I expected," Kagami told her with a sigh of relief, putting her arm on her waist as she stood next to Tsukasa, saying, "Mr. Shinu scolded me a little, but he went easier on me than usual."

"He did?" Miyuki inquired in disbelief, looking upwards to her friend.

"That's good, Kagami. He probably likes to pick on people with lower grade scores more," Jayden said, smiling with relief himself as the two shared a glance, the boy's half-eaten sandwich relinquished in his lunchbox.

"Don't make this a habit, Kagamin. More of this and before you know it, you'll have become like me," Konata spoke, not hiding her amusement as she received a look through furrowed brows in return.

"It'd be a long, long route if that were to happen," Kagami replied in a second, a teasing grin on her lips now instead. "It's not something that can occur overnight."

"That stings, Kagami," Konata said in a mock whine, shaking his head in disapproval as she added, "I can't make one friendly comment here without getting my pride attacked at…"

With that said, Kagami let out a heartfelt chuckle in reply, pushing away a pigtail behind her back as she looked at Jayden who was laughing himself, still wearing a smile as she did.

"If you don't want to be late for classes and be reprimanded once more like me, you might want to sit down," Konata soon spoke again, glancing at the round clock above the black board.

"I will," Kagami replied mirthfully, walking past her sister to grab hold of a chair nearby, resting her hand there as she turned around, saying, "But first… Jayden and I have an announcement to make."

"Announcement?" Miyuki asked curiously while momentarily relinquishing her chopsticks, turning her attention to her two friends. Konata narrowed her eyes and remained silent, noticing that Kagami and Jayden shared another glance, both of them smiling as they did. The older Hiiragi twin put down the chair next to him, with Tsukasa sitting right beside her on her left, a smile on her own face.

"Well, as of a couple of days ago, he and I got together," Kagami elaborated when she sat down, slightly turning around in Jayden's direction and reaching out for his hand as the two of them looked at each other affectionately for a moment.

"You did?" Miyuki voiced Konata's inward thoughts with surprise in her voice. The blue-haired girl looked at Jayden and Kagami with a somewhat blank stare upon hearing what they had to say, lost in thought for a while as she held her gaze in their direction.

"Yeah, we did," Jayden replied while smiling sincerely at the pink-haired girl, a subtle blush on his face, the fingers of his hand momentarily intertwining themselves with Kagami's. Konata couldn't help but move her gaze to their joined hands for a few seconds.

So, it really did happen.. sooner than she thought it would. It wasn't something that she didn't expect, of course, the attraction between the two had become more and more obvious. Especially after she had spoken to Kagami that day at the library, it was apparent that she had feelings for Jayden that she had yet to realize at that point.

"That is great to hear, Jayden-san," Miyuki spoke, smiling as she closed her eyes mirthfully while Konata kept her gaze on the two in the meantime with an unreadable expression. Miyuki asked, "How did it happen?"

"Well, it was after school on Saturday when Kagami called me and asked me to meet up with her," Jayden explained with a smile still on his face, glancing with joy at the girl beside him as he did. "That's when she told me that she felt something for me… and when I realized that I did too, for her. We talked about it then, us getting together, and… we decided to give it a shot."

"That is how such things go, don't they?" Miyuki said after a moment with a smile on her face. "I admit I may have thought about the two of you making a good couple before… I am happy for both of you. Kagami-san, Jayden-san."

"Thank you, Miyuki," Kagami said appreciatively as she returned her smile with her cheeks a little flushed too.

Konata spared one more moment thinking on what Jayden just said had happened between him and Kagami. It was clearly only a matter of time before something like that occurred… she wasn't surprised and yet, she couldn't help but look at the two of them together and think what could've been instead… if she was in either one's place right now. How the two of them looked at each other now wasn't quite like the way they looked at anyone else, including her.

It wasn't long before she was snapped out of her reverie, noticing the looks of concern written on Jayden's and the two twins' faces who were now facing her.

"And here I thought you were going to give us some actual news," Konata then said with a smirk, looking Jayden and Kagami's way as she folded her arms, adding teasingly, "I must say I'm disappointed."

"Disappointed?" Kagami repeated curiously, a look of worry on her face.

"As far as we were concerned, you were practically together already," Konata answered, knowingly nodding her head with her eyes closed for a moment before sighing and smiling at them earnestly. "So… it's about time."

"Are you okay with this, Konata?" Kagami inquired seriously, the worry in her countenance subsiding, a similar inquisitive expression on Jayden's face as he looked at Konata himself.

"It's alright, Kagami," Konata spoke sincerely with a nod, unfolding her arms as she looked at the couple, still wearing a smile on her face. "I'm happy that it finally happened. Any further and I would've had somebody bring the two of you together by force."

"You'd really go to such drastic measures?" Jayden asked as he let out a chuckle, now smiling as well, obviously feeling relieved. He glanced back at Kagami again, who looked just as alleviated herself.

"Of course. Don't you know me, Jayden?" Konata asked teasingly, returning her attention to the remainder of her bento as she took hold of her chopsticks again, continuing after she gulped a piece of salmon down, "It was becoming painful watching nobody make any move on the other. Not man enough to do it yourself though, eh, Jayden?"

"Well," he started, rubbing the back of his neck as Kagami looked at him with amusement written on her face, who had started eating her meal too. "I definitely would've if I wasn't so… blind to my own feelings at the time."

"At least you weren't alone in that," Konata made a comment as she glanced at Kagami knowingly, but then shrugged her shoulders as she said, "Well, then. I suppose that the important thing is that it worked out in the end."

"I'm happy that it did," Kagami nodded her head joyfully as she proceeded to give Jayden another glance with a subtle rosy color visible in her cheeks. "I was so nervous about sharing what I felt with Jayden and confessing to him… but I'm glad that I did."

"Me too," Jayden replied, a blush on his own face as he smiled back at Kagami. "And by doing that you made me realize that I felt the same, too."

Konata couldn't help but have her gaze look away from the two for a second as she concentrated on finishing what little food was left from her bento, feeling the subtlest lurch in her stomach at the sight.

"Now aren't we mushy with each other already," Konata commented with a smirk on her face, her eyes closed for a while, adding after a moment, "You might not have time to finish up with your meal."

"Ah… only about three minutes until the end of the break," Jayden said as he looked at his wristwatch with his cheeks still red, picking up the remainder of his sandwich that he had left inside his lunchbox again.

"You eat fast anyway, so you don't have to worry about it," Kagami added in a chuckle as she then looked at her own bento. "It's this that I may not be able to finish in time."

"You can save some of it for after classes that way," Jayden remarked before taking a bite out of his sandwich, the rest of the group following suit as everybody continued on finishing up with their respective meals.

"This is still news even if it might not be a big surprise," Miyuki soon chimed in, looking Tsukasa's way as she asked, "Tsukasa-san, I suppose you already knew about it?"

"Well, yes, I did," she replied while nervously blushing, closing her eyes as she spoke, "But… they got together a couple of days ago, so… it's almost just as new to me too."

"I've talked to her about it a few times, yes," Kagami nodded as she smiled softly at her sister, saying, "She's been very helpful to me too."

"Still, you can't deny being privileged, Tsukasa," Konata spoke, shaking her head in mock disapproval.

"Well… I may have been," Tsukasa replied, giving Konata a meek smile as she did.

"It's going to be the interesting just how much your grades are affected now," Konata turned her attention back to Kagami and Jayden with a teasing smirk on her face. "Both of you were already late for the first class of the week, and it's only the first day after you got together," she then said, looking at Kagami specifically when she added with her index finger raised in the air, "I'll recall the times you haven't lent me your homework when you'll want to copy notes from me."

"You've sure let your imagination run wild already, Konata," Kagami replied with a smirk of her own, shaking her head as she did. "We'll be just as responsible about things like this as we've always before."

"Easier said than done, Kagamin," Konata fought back.

"We'll see when we'll have time to meet up with each other, depending on what the school schedule is," Jayden said to Konata, already having finished with his sandwich. "We were lucky that we didn't have anything to do for today, so we could do so on Sunday."

"You went on a date yesterday?" Konata soon asked curiously, not having thought about why Jayden hadn't been around most of the day before. Of course they'd have been excited to see each other if they had the time like they did then…

"Yes, we went to a seafood restaurant near the Kuki-shi river," Kagami answered with a nod of her head, facing Jayden again with a smile on her face, slightly narrowing her eyes as she said, "We had a lot of fun together."

"We did, didn't we?" Jayden replied as he returned Kagami's smile, a blush slowly appearing on his cheeks.

"That is good to hear," Miyuki chimed in mirthfully. "It sounds like an enjoyable place to visit."

"You sure don't waste any time," Konata said as she shook her head, proceeding to point her chopsticks at the boy afterward. "Just make sure, Jayden, that you don't forget _Surface Breach_ or your responsibility – no, oath – as a guild member there."

"Don't worry, I won't," Jayden assured her as he chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Though I wouldn't exactly call it an oath."

"Guess you haven't read the guild message I recently put up," Konata told him with another playful smirk, Jayden and Kagami laughing in response.

The blue-haired girl smiled amusedly at the two, still looking at them when they glanced at each other again. They'd do so occasionally as they sat side by side on the desk along with the rest of the group, still conversing until the literature teacher eventually arrived. Konata could see that they were happy at those moments, and even if there was still a degree of pain in her heart at seeing them this way and knowing that they had eyes only for each other… deep inside, the sincere happiness she felt for the two was slowly prevailing. After what had happened recently, after what she found out about herself and had trouble even thinking of accepting, Konata had been sure, at a time, that she'd lose them as friends too. But both had stuck by her, helped her through with what was troubling her, didn't think any less of her…

Standing between the two wasn't something that she saw herself doing regardless of whatever feelings lingered on in her heart. Things were right this way, and with time, she hoped that what pain she still felt would eventually disappear.

* * *

Tsukasa held onto the railing of the subway as it made a rapid turn underground, gripping it firmly with her fingers while keeping her satchel close to her with her other hand. All cars she and her friends had seen when returning from school had been crowded like this one, hence why they hadn't managed to find any seats to use, unfortunately. She looked at her classmates around her as they resumed their conversation, each of them brushing against at least a couple of other people as they tried to retain their balance in the car.

"So, I shouldn't be expecting to see you in the server today, Jayden?" Konata asked her taller friend standing opposite her with Kagami by his side, looking at him a bit sadly as she did.

"No, I'll probably still log in for a while to play," Jayden told her reassuringly with a smile. "I'll just want to get as much of this literature essay out of the way as possible first, and some of the history homework too."

"Literature essays are probably the easiest homework," Konata then told the others with a nod of her head. Tsukasa couldn't help but look at her with disbelief because of the vastly different experience with literature essays she's used to. The girl then explained, "There's a site on the Internet where students of all schools in Japan upload all of their essays on all different subjects to help out others."

"You use a site like that?" Kagami asked her friend with her brows furrowed, softly smiling after her friend nodded in response, "You might not like doing these essays, but if you do them yourself it will be much easier for you when exams eventually come since you can remember everything you've written, and the tests are all based on the homework."

"The literature we study is just too obsolete to be interesting to me anymore," Konata answered as she shrugged her shoulders, nearly bumping into a much bigger person behind her that way. "I can't help but miss the vivid images, backgrounds and dialogue balloons accompanying them in manga when I'm reading a simple text in medieval Japanese literature."

"Funny you say 'vivid images' when manga's usually black and white," Jayden replied with amusement, brushing the bangs away from his face before continuing any further. "I mean, I like my fair share of manga myself as you know, but I really miss the color in it. Western comics tend to be more vivid because they're colored. More… illustrative."

"You're only looking at them in terms of color," Konata retorted with a shake of her head, raising her index finger in the air with unmistakable determination as she firmly said, "They might be colored, but their flow is so stiff – so much dialogue in a single frame, it's ridiculous. A single event in a manga can take up to several pages in a book, when in western comics the same event is spelled out for you in a single dialogue balloon."

"Well… you may have a point there," Jayden conceded after a moment, the rest of the conversation going by as Tsukasa struggled to visualize how a western comic may look like judging by Konata's descriptions.

"The composition of a manga allows so much freedom too," Konata continued rather passionately, Tsukasa listening to her as she did while still noticing that a couple of passengers around were looking at the blue-haired girl with a mix of interest and amusement. "Each frame can be different in both angle and size, making its portrayal of events superior to western comics, because of how much varied and detailed the composition of a manga can be. It helps to move the story along so well and not at such a rushed pace either."

"I admit I hadn't thought of those details before," Jayden replied with a thoughtful expression on his face as he idly nodded.

"I haven't read a western comic before, so I don't know the difference between them," Kagami spoke with curiosity in her voice. "I hadn't considered some of these things about manga that could be different for other comics."

"I think I may have seen some sold in a mall before… or it could have been manga again," Tsukasa chimed in with interest. "I'm not knowledgeable enough about it to say for certain."

"I bought some at the last Comic Market," Konata said.

"I haven't seen any around here, but then again I haven't looked either," Jayden told Tsukasa, and then added while looking at Konata again as he gestured his hand in her direction, "I'd still say no color in manga is a huge minus for me though."

"You've got no imagination, Jayden," Konata told him in mock disappointment, the sound of the announcer mentioning the name of her stop, Minami Saitama, going by unnoticed by the girl.

"Konata, your stop!" Kagami exclaimed at the oblivious Konata, who then looked with surprise behind her to notice the few people remaining getting out of the subway already. She spun around in surprise and somehow managed to walk through the crowd with rigorous determination until she disappeared from sight, the doors closing down after her just as she left the car. Tsukasa let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding when she made it through, for she was reminded of the many times when she hadn't managed to do what Konata just did now.

"Short or no, she sure knows how to force her way through," Jayden spoke in a chuckle afterward, clearly amused.

"She might have even gone a little overboard," Kagami laughed beside him, sighing contentedly as she added with a smile on her face, "I'm so glad that she isn't feeling down anymore, even after we told her we've gotten together."

"I am too," Jayden nodded as he returned her smile. "If she can argue like that and be this passionate about it, she's okay."

"I'm happy as well," Tsukasa said to the two of them with relief. "It still looked like Kona-chan was a little surprised at first, but she took it well."

"I'm going to find time to play _Surface Breach_ with her a little today too," Jayden told them with conviction while Tsukasa moved to where Konata had stood just a minute ago, now facing him and her sister standing next to each other while holding onto the overhead railing.

"The essay and history homework you have isn't due for another week, right?" Kagami asked him, and after he nodded in response, she said as she gestured with her hand in his direction, "In that case, you don't have to complete them both today, there'd still be time for the rest of the week."

"I know, but…" Jayden spoke as he let out a sigh, looking away from Kagami for a moment before he returned her gaze again with a newly appeared blush on his face. "With midterms coming soon… I want to do as much of the school work as I can so that we'll have the time this week to go out again… if you'd like to, of course."

"Oh," Kagami let out as her own cheeks colored, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear with her free hand before she replied, "Of course I do, Jayden. That was what I was thinking myself, actually."

Tsukasa couldn't help but smile at herself upon that exchange, shuffling her feet a little while she did, briefly looking downwards nervously, not wanting to break any moment between them with her presence. The genuine, mirthful expression on her sister's face combined with the subtle blush on her cheeks was a common occurrence for her when she was around Jayden, and that didn't slip by Tsukasa's notice.

"We can begin doing the same today if you want, Tsukasa," Kagami soon told her, returning Tsukasa's attention back to her.

"Yes, Sis, I do," she then answered her, holding her satchel in front of her with her hand while she gripped on a different railing. "I think that if I start studying now, it will help me during the midterms too."

"I'm sure it will," Kagami warmly told her in response. "I know I'll need the extra help myself."

"I… suppose I should get round to working out a schedule for the midterms myself," Jayden said as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Looks like it may be a rough week, but it will make things easier in the long run."

"That's what I'm hoping too," Kagami replied with a determined nod of her head. "We don't know the extent of the material at the moment, so it's always better to prepare ahead of time."

"I keep reminding myself of summer break coming soon for motivation," Tsukasa spoke as she closed her eyes in mirth, visualizing a nice, warm beach in the process for a second.

"Oh yes, I can't wait for that too," Jayden retorted enthusiastically, looking as if he was visualizing something himself as he looked away somewhere. A curious blush on his face eventually appeared when he did.

"It's surely nice to think about, but it's also important not to let such kinds of thoughts make you lose your focus," Kagami reminded.

"Of course, that's true," Jayden replied, proceeding to shake his head a little, turning it back in the direction of the girls again with a smile.

A few minutes afterward along the route of the subway, it was already fast approaching the Takanomiya Shrine stop, having just gone over the surface for a little while before venturing underground once more. A good number of people went past Tsukasa as they prepared themselves to leave for the station, already gathering in front of the doors.

Kagami had turned to face Jayden, releasing a sigh, smiling at him earnestly before she spoke with reluctance in her voice.

"I'd ask if you wanted to walk us home, but… I'd imagine that you'd want to get to studying…"

"No, I can spare the time," Jayden told her with a smile, mirthfully glancing at Tsukasa for a second as well. "I'll just work double hard for an hour or two or something."

"You're determined, Jayden," Kagami said to him as she giggled. "Do you think you can do that?"

"Well, realistically… no," Jayden honestly replied, letting out a laugh while scratching his cheek with a finger. "But I won't know until I try, will I?"

"Okay, but… don't push yourself too hard," Kagami then told him seriously with her eyes locked on his.

After sharing a nod between themselves and as the subway began bringing itself to a halt, Jayden held out his free hand to Kagami. She quickly accepted, the subtle blush on her face appearing once again while she held her gaze on his.

As the three of them lined up next to the crowd of people in front of them, Kagami flashed Tsukasa a heartfelt smile with her eyes visibly lit up, one that the younger twin couldn't help but return. Tsukasa had seen her sister and Jayden together many times before, but it was today that she first got a glimpse of them as a couple. And as they continued walking together to the Hiiragi household, it was obvious to her that both of them were clearly happy together, and in seeing that, Tsukasa managed to share in some of that mutual joy. She sincerely hoped that they'd continue being that way in the future, for she could tell how special all of this was for her sister whom she knew so well. They had only recently gotten together, that was true, but she remained hopeful...

Was this how it was going to be like when she found someone special too? Looking at Jayden and Kagami together even now, she found herself hoping that it would.


	16. 15th of June, 2013

**Someone Else**

**Chapter 16: 15****th**** of June, 2013**

With a sigh of contentment after what had been a long English class, Kagami searched among the pages of her notebook to look for the words she had scribbled down that she hadn't caught the meaning of. Getting up from her seat once she found the page in question, she instinctively went for the teacher's desk to ask him about them, only to find that nobody was there already.

Mr. Kobayashi certainly didn't waste any time leaving the classroom as soon as possible, did he? Well, she was just going to ask Jayden about them later – he had always been very helpful with anything related to English lessons, and the teacher had told her that there was a noticeable improvement in her pronunciation. She hadn't forgotten to thank Jayden for his help with that, who was always interested in how she was doing in English classes and whether she needed a hand with something.

"Hey, Hiiragi," the sudden sound of Misao's high-pitched voice diverted Kagami's attention to her brown-haired friend from the class. She had just gotten up from her own desk and had lazily put her arms behind her head as she approached her, her gold-colored eyes looking in her direction with interest. "You wanted to ask Mr. Kobayashi something?"

"Just some words from that text in the beginning that I didn't understand," Kagami answered as she smiled, putting her one hand on her waist while holding her notebook with the other.

"Ah, fear not! Let your friend see them," Misao immediately replied as she closed her eyes mirthfully and held out her hand in Kagami's direction.

"Okay," Kagami spoke with unconcealed disbelief in her voice as she gave her notebook to Misao, opening it on the page in question. Folding her arms, Kagami watch her classmate strain her eyes as she looked at the words intently, the confidence she had hitherto displayed completely gone.

"Well, you see, I can't tell you anything without the context," Misao eventually said as she let out a laugh, already giving Kagami her notebook back and proceeding to put her arms behind her head again.

"I can easily find you the whole text in a minute or two then," Kagami replied with a smirk on her face, casually pushing back a pigtail of her hair behind her as she did.

"Don't worry about it, Hiiragi," Misao said as she waved both of her hands at Kagami whilst vehemently shaking her head, the bangs of her short, slightly dishevelled hair getting in her eyes as she did. "Make sure you eat first, I wouldn't want my friend to miss lunch because of something like this."

"Rather thoughtful of you," Kagami spoke with amusement while nodding Misao's way in mock appreciation, her friend chuckling once again in response.

Just as Kagami intended on walking past her classmate to get the lunchbox from her bag, her eyes noticed a certain boy casually walking through the door of the class, inspecting it curiously until his light green eyes landed on hers. A smile appeared on his lips when that happened, one that she couldn't help but return even with the surprise she felt at seeing him there. Misao had supposedly seen where she was looking at, for she turned her head to curiously follow her gaze at the approaching boy.

"Oh, Hiiragi, looks like you have a certain visitor," Misao drawled out with apparent intrigue in her voice, a grin on her face which showed her one protruding sharp tooth.

Before Kagami could answer anything, Jayden had already walked up beside them with the same mirthful expression as he looked at her, his hands in his pockets again, as ever. She could feel a subtle blush appearing on her cheeks already in response, holding her gaze on his ever since he appeared.

"Hey," Jayden then said at the two.

"You must be Ariyoshi," Misao uttered joyfully with an enthusiastic nod of her face before Kagami had the chance to answer first.

"Jayden, this is my friend Misao," she reminded him upon seeing the brief confusion on his countenance when he looked at the brown-haired girl. She had mentioned her friend from kindergarten to him a few times before, but not nearly enough for him to be able to recognize her.

"Pleased to meet you," Misao spoke again in a rather broken English after clearing her throat, closing her eyes for a moment and putting her hands on her sides proudly with her characteristic enthusiasm.

"Oh! Me too, Misao," Jayden replied in English with a soft smile on his face after a moment, which was probably spent in trying to figure out what she had said to him, nodding her way in return. Kagami couldn't help but let out a soft giggle at the exchange, despite knowing that she probably wouldn't have been able to say it that much better than her classmate did.

"How wicked was that?" Misao then said excitedly with her eyes lit up, now speaking in Japanese again. "I just had my first conversation in English with a native speaker and we understood each other perfectly. If only Mr. Kobayashi was hear to hear it…"

"Well, yes, we did," Jayden spoke in a chuckle while rubbing the back of his neck, throwing Kagami a glance as he did.

"Why don't you go on, then?" Kagami asked her friend with amusement, folding her arms again while still holding her notebook in her hand. "It'd be a chance to further show your proficiency, Misao."

"I wouldn't want to use him like that just to show off, Hiiragi," Misao replied with a determined shake of her head. "There's always a time and place, and it's not now."

"Looks like you just had English class anyway," Jayden said, nodding towards the black board, which was still full of various words they had learned today and their respective translations. "You must've studied enough of it today already."

"You've got that right," Misao replied as she nodded approvingly, leaning back as she still held her arms behind her head, asking Jayden, "This school doesn't see a lot of foreign transfer students, at least our class doesn't have anybody who came from abroad. How's it like being in Japan, Ariyoshi?"

"It was a little overwhelming at first, to be honest," he answered sincerely with a sigh. "But half my family is Japanese, and that has helped me get used to going to this school and living here."

"At times it can be pretty obvious that he's not from around here though," Kagami said as she smiled teasingly at him, tilting her head slightly in his direction as she did, which elicited a blush on his face in response.

"Looks to me that he's adjusted well enough, Hiiragi, " Misao observed as she grinned, glancing knowingly at her friend as she did, narrowing her eyes at her. Furrowing her brows in confusion, Kagami couldn't get a chance to reply before Misao suddenly froze up in a moment of realization.

"Oh, I almost forgot that Ayano's waiting for me," Misao then spoke as she looked at the orange-haired girl at the back of the window row near the door of the class. Gesturing her hand towards Kagami, she added with another grin before leaving, "That, and I wouldn't want to waste any quality time between you two."

A few seconds after Misao was gone to the other side of the room, Kagami turned to look at Jayden again, pulling a lock of hair behind her ear, a smile on her slightly colored face.

"It's a nice surprise seeing you here, Jayden," she warmly told him.

"You're always coming to our classroom during lunch break," Jayden retorted in a slight shrug, returning her smile as he did. "Figured I would visit you once for a change, and see how your class is doing."

"It doesn't have to be the only time," Kagami replied mirthfully through her blush, leaning back on a desk behind her as she relinquished the notebook in her hand, placing it there in the process. "You had math, didn't you? How did that go?"

"No worse than usual," he replied in a sigh, slowly running a hand through his hair as he did, his fringe falling across his green eyes in the process. Kagami parted her lips a little as she traced the movement with her eyes, feeling the color in her cheeks intensify as she kept her gaze on his face after that, almost not managing to pick up on what he said next. "We were given the same homework you were, the one with those trigonometry questions… I'm planning on doing that later today after returning from school."

"If you need any help with it, let me know," she soon answered him after registering his words, nodding. "I finished it on Tuesday, I think. It wasn't easy."

"I'll try to solve it with those math reference books we have, but I'll keep it in mind, Kagami. Thanks," Jayden said, smiling at her once again.

"It's no problem, Jayden," Kagami told him as she returned the smile, proceeding to look around the two of them after a moment, noticing that most of the students had remained there to eat their meals, paying no mind to her and Jayden. Turning her attention back to Jayden, she spoke, "So here's my class. You already met Misao, I've known her for a really long time. She and Ayano are the ones I usually hang out with here… when I'm not at your class, I mean."

"Why doesn't she call you by your first name?" Jayden asked with amusement, glancing back at the two girls sitting at the end of the window row, Kagami following his gaze shortly after. She had just enough time to notice that the two of them were looking their way before they started pretending that they were talking about something.

"I tried getting her to do that more than once," Kagami soon answered him, turning her head back to face him standing in front of her. "I don't really know why. It's something that's stuck since kindergarten, I suppose."

"She seems pretty outgoing," Jayden spoke, his lips pulling into a grin as he added, "Reminds me of Konata a little."

"Except that as far as skill in video games goes, she's pretty much the other extreme," Kagami replied, letting out a chuckle, proceeding to gesture her hand towards Jayden as she added teasingly, "Her, you can beat at _King of Fighters_, Jayden."

"And I can do so at our eventual rematch too, Kagami," Jayden reminded her, a challenging look in his eyes.

"I hope you've been practicing then," Kagami beamed back at him playfully, shuffling her feet for a little bit as the two of them smiled at each other, asking him after a moment, "Shall we go to 2-B to have lunch with the others, Jayden? I don't think we have much time left."

"Yeah, let's," Jayden nodded affirmatively, the two of them starting to head back to Kagami's desk when he asked her, "How did English class go, by the way?"

"Oh!" she let out, the question making her recall the notebook that she had placed on the desk behind her. "It went well, but I just remembered that there were a few words I wanted to ask you about, if you can help me a little…"

"Oh, of course," Jayden replied, already walking up beside her as she opened her notebook to give him the questions that she had.

After quickly scribbling down what Jayden had translated and explained to her, Kagami picked up the lunchbox from her satchel and walked through the door of the class with Jayden following her out. Little did they know that they left a very gossipy Misao and Ayano behind, both talking to each other about them for a while afterward.

* * *

A few minutes later, in the room of class 2-B, a very excited Tsukasa was showing her new acquisition to her friends who had gathered around Konata's desk, now in the middle of lunch. Her new possession was a flip cell phone, pink in color, with a keychain and a rather small screen to go along with it, given to her by her parents the day before. Jayden had just arrived back with Kagami to see her talking to Konata and Miyuki about it, now watching with interest while he ate his turkey sandwich.

"It has a lot of useful functions," she told the rest with enthusiasm as she held it in her hand, going through the menu with certain difficulty, her own meal lying next to her, forgotten.

"Aren't flip phones becoming old-fashioned though?" Jayden asked the girl curiously.

"I don't know about that," Konata replied, wearing a confused expression as she raised her index finger in the air. "In recent anime and manga, don't you still see people constantly using flip phones?"

"I haven't really noticed," Jayden spoke, not having paid enough attention to such kind of details to be certain one way or the other.

"Old-fashioned or not, I think they're rather cool," Kagami chimed in, smiling as she looked at Tsukasa's flip phone while holding onto a piece of salmon with her chopsticks. "My cell phone is a flip one too. Isn't it good to have something like that protecting the screen anyway?"

"You may be right," Jayden answered, giving her a smile while he rubbed the back of his neck. "Perhaps if mine was like that, it wouldn't be so full of scratches now."

"Maybe it's just because you're not careful enough. Your music player doesn't have a speck on it, by contrast," Kagami told him as she gave a playful grin while lightly squeezing his hand for a second, pulling it back to continue working on her bento.

"I wonder if it's because I carry it in my pocket… where I also keep my keys sometimes…" Jayden's voice trailed off in sudden realization.

"I have noticed that smart phones like mine are quickly taking over," Miyuki suddenly said, leaving her chopsticks for a moment while she spoke. "They usually operate with touch screen technology which I find very efficient and easy to use. I have been hearing that in the next few years everything is going to become touch screen, including computers."

"Smart phones right now are very expensive though," Kagami retorted, nodding Tsukasa's way as she added, "Besides, normal ones still do their job just as well."

"And still have a lot of the newer functions," Tsukasa spoke while nodding her head excitedly in agreement, proceeding to narrow her eyes at the screen as she muttered, "Like… GPS? What is that?"

"Global positioning system, I believe," Miyuki explained before Jayden himself could say anything. "With the help of satellites you can track your position on the map, wherever you are."

"That sounds exciting!" Tsukasa exclaimed, her eyes lit up as she looked back at her phone with newfound appreciation. "My old phone didn't have anything like that. I think I'll use the GPS when we go home today."

"Well, I think it's meant to be used when you need directions and when you're lost," Kagami said to her with amusement in her voice, proceeding to take one more bite of the piece of salmon.

"Don't take away your sister's excitement like that. Let her enjoy it until she gets bored," Konata scolded her, clicking her tongue in a disapproving maner, earning herself a look through furrowed brows in response.

"Why did they buy you a new phone, by the way?" Jayden asked Tsukasa, now leaning back on his chair after finishing up with his sandwich.

"Well, I found my old one in the washing machine for some reason," she answered him, smiling nervously with her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. "It was… non-functional. I don't know how it ended up there."

"Make sure you don't lose this one too," Kagami said to her with a firm nod of her head.

"I'll be more careful this time, Sis," Tsukasa replied determinedly.

"I don't know where mine is right now," Konata said with a nonchalant shrug of her shoulders. "It could be in my washing machine for all I know."

Jayden raised his brow with amusement and confusion in response, not managing to comment on that, for the group's attention was now directed at the approaching Ms. Kuroi, who had just entered the room for their history lesson. While a few other students already started getting back to their seats, they remained seated as they looked at the teacher now standing right beside Konata's desk.

"Make sure you don't forget to mute that this time, Hiiragi," she told the girl as she grinned, pointing at her flip phone.

"I—I'm sorry about that, Ms. Kuroi," Tsukasa was quick to anxiously apologize, putting it right back in the pocket of her skirt while Konata smirked at her amusedly.

"Ms. Kuroi, the Surface of Lohtar today, right?" the blue-haired girl then asked the teacher excitedly. It took a second for Jayden to realize that she was talking about the long-awaited raid her guild was planning.

"Sh!" Ms. Kuroi let out, her eyes inspecting the proximity of the students around her, and then she leaned forward a little in Konata's direction as she muttered, "Yes. 9 o'clock sharp."

"I'll see what I can do to come too," Jayden chimed in, after which Ms. Kuroi continued heading for her desk to start the lesson.

Before getting up from his chair, Jayden glanced sideways to see an amused Kagami looking back at him, who had witnessed the apparently confidential exchange between them. He gave her a quick smile, briefly taking her hand and gently squeezing it as he nodded her way, a gesture that she returned herself. Just a couple more class hours and the week would be over, and he'd see her again after her lessons ended. This time there wasn't a lot for him to do besides some math for homework, which meant he could finally walk her home again on the way back.

As both of them stood up and she began leaving back for her classroom while he went for his seat, Jayden couldn't help but lament the fact that she wasn't in 2-B like him… just so that he could be in her company a bit more.

* * *

About an hour after school classes had ended for the day, Kagami found herself walking through the Takanomiya Shrine, her hand intertwined with Jayden's who was walking her home, Tsukasa right next to her on the other side as well. As they walked through a road with a few crowded souvenir stalls on both directions, she stretched her free hand upwards while sighing contentedly, her eyes looking up at the blue sky above.

It felt relieving to finally conclude the rather difficult week, knowing how much studying she'd done, both on her own and with Tsukasa at home. It wasn't quite over yet, but she had done enough to have a largely calm weekend in terms of school workload she had to do. The shade of nearby trees around the shrine no longer hiding her from the sun, she felt the distinct touch of the June sun on her features again.

"It's been getting really warm recently," she commented with a smile, letting her eyes close for a brief moment as she relished in the feeling of the sun on her face.

"Thank goodness for the wind though," Jayden replied in a sigh of contentment beside her. "Without that, it may get too hot for my liking."

"It's going to get even warmer the next couple of months though," Kagami reminded as she opened her eyes again, turning her head to in her boyfriend's direction, still wearing the smile on her face. "I don't know how hot summers can get in Portland…"

"We'll soon see how it compares to here," Jayden answered with a slight shrug of his shoulders, the pleasant wind slightly ruffling his hair as it hit him in the meantime.

"I like the weather in June most," Tsukasa chimed in, turning the attention of her two classmates at her, both of whom noticed the opened flip mobile telephone that she was holding in her hand. "Right now it's nice, but Yuki-chan says it's too hot for her already."

"Are you still messaging Miyuki?" Kagami inquired curiously, letting out a giggle after seeing her sister nod in response. "We just said goodbye to her at the station, Tsukasa."

"Well, she might still want to join our conversation," Tsukasa replied as she smiled meekly with her eyes closed, nervously scratching her cheek with a finger of her hand.

"She's probably still on the subway to Tokyo," Jayden estimated, chuckling before adding, "And I complain that the route from my house to school is long."

"I can ask her if she is," Tsukasa excitedly replied, her finger already rampantly clicking on the buttons of the pink-colored device again.

"You can't put that telephone down after you got it the other day," Kagami said to her sister amusedly, using her free hand to push away the bangs of her hair that the wind had pushed into her eyes. Looking back at Jayden, she asked him, "Is it true that it rung several times during class too, like Konata told me?"

"Well…" Jayden began, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked Tsukasa's way, which was enough to make the answer to the question clear.

"I… I didn't know how to mute it at the time," her younger twin muttered, a blush on her face as she kept looking away towards her telephone, the sound of buttons being pressed persisting.

"You're lucky that it hasn't happened in math class. If it did, I'm not sure what would've become of that phone," Kagami spoke, looking forward to see the familiar entrance to their house not far ahead of them already.

"Forget about the phone, I wonder what will happen to its owner," Jayden joked, his lips pulling into another amused smile as he glanced at Kagami once more.

"Don't scare her like that," she warned her boyfriend through a grin, glancing back at Tsukasa who appeared only mildly intimidated at the thought, for her phone was curiously being put back in her satchel already.

With a few more steps ahead, the three of them now stood in front of their destination, just having gone through most of the quiet street that joined it together with the much noisier shrine. Tsukasa was standing beside the gate, her features drawn into a smile that she directed at Jayden, who nodded back at her.

Kagami turned a little sideways to look at Jayden, her hand still joined together with his. After the lengthy studying that they were all doing for school, he had finally been able to walk back with them, for he normally couldn't study much more than he already did anyway. Now that he was with them, Kagami found herself not wanting to part with him just yet… not when she had made sure she'd have the time to be together with him by working hard herself. They might meet up with each other again tomorrow if he had the time, but today was not over yet either…

"Kagami, is something the matter?" Jayden suddenly asked her with concern, snapping her out of her reverie that she hadn't realized she had fallen into whilst looking at him.

"No, don't worry," she smiled at him reassuringly, pulling a lock of hair behind her ear as she did. "I… You go to the subway station after the Ainohashi Bridge after walking me home, right?"

"Yeah, I do," Jayden answered with a nod of his head, curiosity evident in his light green eyes.

"Well… I thought I might walk you there this time," Kagami then said to him, feeling her cheeks coloring a little. "I don't have a lot to study today, and I could keep you company on your way there too… if you want me to."

"Oh, of course I do," Jayden soon replied happily, the previously curious look on his face now replaced with pleasant surprise, eliciting a mirthful chuckle on her part in response.

"Tsukasa, do you want to come with us too?" Kagami asked her sister shortly after that, turning her head in her direction to see her smiling at them as well.

"No, it's alright," the younger twin shook her head, adding, "I feel like taking a nap… studying so much may have worn me out."

"Okay. I'm thinking of resting a little too after that," Kagami told her with a nod, momentarily pulling her hand from Jayden's to rummage through her satchel for the keys to the gate. "Oh," she involuntarily let out in surprise when she saw a certain music player in one of the pockets before finding the keys, remembering that she had brought it with the intention of giving it back to Jayden. She got it out before giving the keys to the house to Tsukasa, which she had also taken out, and then her satchel itself as well.

"I'll be back soon," Kagami told her as the two shared a nod between themselves.

"Okay, Sis," Tsukasa answered, putting Kagami's satchel over her shoulder, looking at Jayden afterwards, saying to him with a slight wave of her hand, "Goodbye, Jayden-san."

"See you, Tsukasa," the boy retorted, nodding his head her way as he did.

After a moment, Kagami's hand had intertwined with Jayden's again, the two of them continuing along the same street after Tsukasa had gone through the gate of the house and closed it after her. Kagami smiled at him softly as she held out her other hand to him, revealing his music player that was in her palm that way and the earplugs she had neatly tied around it.

"Missed it?" she asked him playfully, squeezing his hand as she did, already seeing the way his eyes locked onto the device.

"You know I did," he grinned back at her as he gently took it from her hand, turning his head to her, inquiring, "Did you listen through the songs inside?"

"I did, and I'm thankful that you gave them to me," Kagami replied, her eyes lighting up as she looked back into his. "I had a lot of favorites that I looked up on the Internet and saved on my computer."

"I'm happy that you liked them," Jayden told her, his voice and expression mirthful. "I've been picking them out for a long time and the ones in the tracklist are the ones I enjoy most. Were there any specific songs or artists that stood out for you?"

"Let's see…" Kagami said, looking in front of them again in thought as they continued walking through the quiet street. She recalled the many times she had simply lied in her bed after a long study session with Tsukasa, listening to another batch of songs in Jayden's player, thinking of him as she did. "I liked a lot of Cosmic Gate tracks, they were all very mellow and… hypnotic at times. Like 'Under Your Spell'."

"Those are some of my favorites ones as well," Jayden spoke in agreement, smiling at her joyfully with excitement palpable in his eyes, their green color noticeably vivid that way as he continued talking. "There's just something about the mystical sound of those songs that I like a lot, the echoes of the instruments and the subtle beats."

"That's what I liked about them too, they can be really entrancing," Kagami soon replied, not failing to notice how cute Jayden looked as he passionately discussed the music, as indicated by the subtle blush in her cheeks. "I took my time to listen to them after I studied, and songs like the ones by Cosmic Gate were very relaxing."

"They are, and they help put me at ease," Jayden nodded, smiling at Kagami as he added, "Oh, and it's cósmic, with the stress on the 'o'."

"Oh," she simply let out as she blushed again, repeating more correctly this time, "Cósmic."

"That's right," he told her in response.

"There was another artist whose songs I liked particularly too…" Kagami then continued, looking forward again, now noticing the end of the street leading to the Kuki-shi river on the other side. "I think they were called Above & Beyond."

"B-e-e-yond," Jayden corrected, a hint of amusement in his voice now present, one that made her blush just a little bit more.

"What's with those names?" Kagami muttered in slight irritation, her reaction making Jayden softly chuckle as a reply, squeezing her hand a little as he did. "Beyond," she then uttered properly, turning her head to her boyfriend again.

"Yeah," he spoke in a nod, smiling at her as he did. "I expected you to like them, their songs are a lot like the one I showed you on the subway that one time, remember?"

"I do, of course," she replied, recalling that moment in perfect clarity, along with the difficulty of being near him she had then, for Jayden didn't yet know how she felt for him at the time.

"Again, they're really soothing to listen to, songs like 'Lonely Girl' particularly," he added while Kagami felt her cheeks flush at the memory.

"I remember that one, I really enjoyed it too," she soon replied with a smile on her face. "There were some that were a bit too… energetic, or rather too… intense for me, though. Like Andrew Rayel's ones."

"There are some of them that are like that, yeah," Jayden said in agreement, looking forward himself as the two of them now found themselves close to the park near the river. "Depending on the mood, I enjoy listening to them sometimes too."

"I liked a lot of the others though," Kagami spoke, the smile on her face widening as she told him, "And, as you suggested… I put up a few of mine in the player too, since there was enough space for that."

"Ah, you did?" Jayden inquired excitedly, beaming back at Kagami, saying, "I'm glad that you did, I'd like to try out some of your favorite music too."

"I'd be happy to hear what you think of them as well," she said while slightly tilting her head in his direction. "They are mostly J-pop, and there are some that are soundtracks from some anime I've watched."

"I don't think I've really listened to any J-pop before, actually," Jayden replied curiously, looking at the music player that he had in his hand for a second and then back at her. His gaze shortly moved from her own to something in the park that they were now running next to, and she couldn't help but follow it.

The pleasant smell of the fully blossomed trees gave away their proximity to the small park, the little fountain in its center visible a couple dozen meters ahead of them. There was a comfortable shade over the whole greenery around them from the clouds in the blue sky above, with several vacant benches underneath the trees just a few steps away. If she were to look away a little to her left, she'd also see the bridge leading to the subway station that they were currently going to. It was not far from here that they had met up for their first date, and neither was the place where she confessed to Jayden that one day, a week ago actually…

"If you want… we can sit on one of these benches for a while," her boyfriend suggested, pointing at one of them as he did, prompting Kagami to look back at him as he said, "I mean, I'm not in a hurry or anything, and I can give a song or two a try that way too."

"Oh," Kagami let out, running her hand across a loose pigtail in front of her. "Yes, I'd like that, Jayden."

After the two shared a smile between themselves, they headed a little into the park and proceeded to sit down on a bench on the that faced the fountain, following the example of a few other people who were taking a rest themselves. Now seated, Jayden removed his satchel from his shoulder and placed it next to him, slouching on the bench a little as he did, turning to face Kagami on his other side, who held her gaze on his as she leaned back herself. The warm sun shone in the direction of their bench from an angle, bringing out his soft features and the light green color of his eyes, only the shade from the tree branches above on his otherwise illuminated face.

"Oh, the battery is still nearly full," the sound of his surprised voice brought Kagami's attention back to the present, making her see that he had apparently taken out his music player already, holding it in his hand. After a second of realizing that she had missed that because of staring at him, she found herself pulling back a lock of hair behind her ear and blushing a little again before replying.

"Well, I had used up pretty much all of it, but I charged it for you before bringing it today," she told him, giving him a soft smile as he looked her way in response.

"Oh, thank you," he said to her, beaming back at her. "I was surprised because nowadays it dies pretty quickly. I guess it's been a while since I bought it."

He then glanced back at the music player in front of him, listing through the songs there, asking her, "What song would you recommend I listen to first?"

"Well, uhm, let's see…" she said, leaning a little and reaching out towards the player, her hand brushing against his for a few moments before he let go.

It wasn't long before she found one of her favorite songs on the list and started it up, looking at him when she gave him the player back. It was only then when she noticed that he had held out his hand to give her one of the two plugs, the other one in his ear already. With a smile, she picked it up from his palm after a second and put it in her own ear, now listening to the same song he was.

As the music played, Kagami found herself holding her gaze on Jayden's face most of the time, her head slightly turned around in his direction while she rested her back on the bench, her shoulders right next to his own. In the meantime, Jayden looked away towards the fountain they were sitting not far away from, as if he was lost in thought while he listened intently.

Kagami couldn't help but have her lips pulled into a smile as the upbeat, mellow song that she was sharing with him played in both their ears. The sound of one of her favorite J-pop singers, Ayu, eventually made its entrance as well, soft and gentle like it always was. She was the one who sung the lyrics of the song that Kagami knew all-too well and have listened to many times before. Her lips slightly parted as she looked at Jayden with expectation, waiting for a reaction that took a bit to come, his head eventually starting to slightly nod at the sound of the song's subtle background drums. The smile returned on her face as she saw that, taking it as a sign that he was enjoying the music. He started glancing at Kagami every now and again, his cheeks visibly flushed into what would have otherwise been a subtle rosy color, but it was more noticeable from this close. He soon removed the plug out of his ear after the music eventually stopped, his features softening as he looked at Kagami, who had pulled off her own earplug in the meantime.

"Oh, I really like this," he then said to her. "This singer has a very pleasant voice… it's a rather mellow song, and the tone is really sweet, the lyrics..."

"Yes, it's just very… romantic, isn't it?" Kagami asked him, still wearing a soft smile on her features as she did.

"It is," Jayden replied with a nod of his head, his gaze momentarily returning to the player in his hand as he scrolled through the list of music Kagami had uploaded to him before. "I might listen to some of her songs first, actually."

"This one's my favorite, it's from her first album, but she has a lot of other good songs too. Mostly the older ones, all of which I've given you," Kagami explained to him, gesturing towards the player with her hand as she did.

"Well, I already know I'll be saving at least one of them," Jayden retorted, returning Kagami's gaze once again, slightly narrowing his eyes as he smiled softly at her.

"Looks like I might get you into J-pop music after all," Kagami let out a slight giggle, lifting up her hand to her lips as she did. "I didn't know whether you'd like it, to be honest… but if you enjoyed this one, I can see you enjoying a lot of the others too."

"It's pretty interesting how she sometimes mixed English words in the lyrics too," Jayden spoke curiously, seemingly impressed, judging by the tone of his voice.

"That's actually pretty common for J-pop as a whole," Kagami explained to him while nodding her head. "I've gotten used to it and I actually learned a lot of words that way, but I don't know whether you'd find it a bit weird."

"I think it's a neat touch, actually," Jayden told her, surprising her with his answer. "I thought it worked pretty well in this song, at least."

"I'm glad that you think so," Kagami retorted with another soft smile that she gave him, pushing away the bangs from her eyes to look at him better after being swept up by the wind. "And that you don't mind me uploading practically my whole tracklist onto your player…"

"I don't mind in the least," Jayden assured her, turning a little on the bench to face her, his own fringe sweeping up in his face a little after another gust of the wind. "I'd love to hear all your favorite music and anything else you suggest I listen to. I'm glad that you're sharing it with me, Kagami."

"Well…" she merely said as she felt color rise in her cheeks once more, idly adjusting the neck of her summer seifuku with her hand, adding briefly after that as she smiled shyly at him, "You've got your hands full now."

"I'm happy that I do," Jayden replied while chuckling a little as he held his gaze on her, his right eye slightly covered from the bangs of his hair, which occasionally blew in the air.

He was truly honest, and clearly excited about listening to more of her favorite songs as well – even if he realized they might not all be to his taste, he still wanted to hear them, he didn't mind at all... And she could see it in his eyes as he regarded her like that, with his features softened, with mirth… and care…

The moment Kagami spent looking at him herself was short, and it ended when she instinctively leaned towards him with her cheeks still flushed. She hadn't failed to notice the brief surprise in Jayden's expression, but her eyes had remained open long enough to see that he eventually closed his. Bridging what little distance there was between them, she lightly put her lips on his.

She gave herself into the soft kiss that he instantly returned, feeling herself lean just a little bit more towards him, comfortably resting her hand on the back of his neck. The familiar sensation of her heart skipping a beat returned, one that she always felt whenever they brushed their lips together like this, something she wasn't sure whether she'd ever get enough of. The wind made her fringe fall across her eyelids again while their tender kiss continued, but she didn't care at that moment, one that she spent solely to feel Jayden's lips on hers.

The contact between them eventually ended, with Kagami brushing her fallen bangs away after it did, opening her eyes and looking deeply into Jayden's own.

"You can bring the player tomorrow, if you'd like us to listen to more music together…" she then said to him with a smile, her face still close enough to his to feel his breath on her. "And if you're free then, of course…"

"I made sure I would be," Jayden spoke, a subtle blush on his cheeks too, his hand having gone to rub the back of his neck. "And I will bring it. I might listen to most of these today too, and get back to you about them then."

"If you can find the time to," Kagami said to him with palpable excitement as she slouched back on the bench. "If not, we can still listen to more of them together as well."

"As for where we could go, I actually asked Kaiya some things…" Jayden began while scratching his cheek a little, seeming a bit embarrassed. "She knows the area much better than I do… I mean, her classes are in Kuki-shi too, and she's just been going out a little more than I have… Anyway, she told me that there's an ice cream café not far from her school."

"An ice cream café?" Kagami repeated curiously, turning a little towards him on the bench once more. "I know of a few around the center of Kasukabe, but not around here."

"She told me that they make really good parfaits there," he told her, grinning at her excitedly himself. "I thought we could go there tomorrow... we can meet on the bridge again, it's supposedly pretty close from there."

"Sounds like a place I'd like, and I know you would too," Kagami said, letting out a giggle as she did, taking hold of his hand and gently squeezing it. He had actually done a bit of research for her, finding out about something even she didn't know about, a place that he knew she'd enjoy… "I'd love to go, Jayden."

"It's a date then," he replied with a nod of his head, giving her yet another smile.

Neither of them thinking they're running particularly late, Kagami and Jayden then ended up listening to a couple more songs before they eventually left the park, the sky above a little overcast. Even after leaving, they didn't quite part until they reached the subway station and Jayden got inside one of the transports after they waited for it to arrive, with Kagami only turning around after he was out of sight.

She couldn't help but feel excited on the way home, knowing that both their efforts over the course of the week were now paying off… After resting a little, the first thing she'd do when back at the house was to get what little homework she still had out of the way, study just a bit more for the midterms… and enjoy the exciting wait for her next date with Jayden.

* * *

With his eyes intently watching the TV screen back in the hall of the Ariyoshi household, Jayden rapidly pressed the buttons of his PlayStation controller as he took part in a rather even game of _King of Fighters_. A few hours of studying for math had gone by already, and now, a few minutes before dinner, he was finally able to accept a long overdue challenge. However, his sly opponent knew how to distract him, always doing so at the right time. As a result of that frequently lost focus, a rather worn out K' was in the process of being beaten up by the slowly prevailing Mai Shiranui.

"So how's it going with Kagami?" Kaiya asked him something out of the blue again in the middle of the fight, the mere mention of Kagami's name enough to make him recall some of today's moments with her, their most recent kiss among them. He was sure his sister was wearing a grin on her face even if he couldn't afford to look at her at the moment.

"This won't work," he told her, making all the effort he could to get back into the game.

"What won't work?" she inquired innocently, though she sounded clearly amused. "I was just wondering if it was going well with Kagami."

"It's going great," he couldn't help but answer regardless, giving in, not managing to hold back his smile as he said so. "We're meeting up tomorrow for a date again. Going to that ice cream café you mentioned to me before, actually."

"I thought you had too much homework to do," Kaiya replied, the conversation seemingly not affecting her performance in the fighting game in the least.

"I did, for the whole week," Jayden said after a moment of trying to escape Mai's streak of punches, not saying anything more until he had made sure he landed a few hits himself. "But I tried getting most of it out of the way to be able to spend time with her."

"You're really smitten by her, Jayde," Kaiya soon spoke with a happy tone in her voice, making him look at her out of the corner of his eye for a bit during the battle. "I know that you've always tried to study for school on time before too, but sometimes you're still somewhat of a procrastinator."

"Heh, yeah," Jayden replied, feeling his lips pull back into a smile again as he continued playing. "I guess I just really wanted us to go out together this week again if we could. It was just… so great last time."

"I could tell when you got back," Kaiya responded, and he could feel her glance at him for a moment herself. "You were almost grinning the entire time during dinner."

"Nothing wrong with being cheerful," Jayden answered, finding himself too unfocused to land any kind of combo against his sister's fighter.

"Usually you'd moan about weekends being too short in Japan at the end of a Sunday," Kaiya reminded with amusement in her voice. "Not that I disagree."

"Well, it is usually a bit straining to go to school on Saturday as well," Jayden retorted, letting out a laugh himself, relaxing on the controller a little, seeing that he had no chance anyway. Talking about Kagami had been way too much of a distraction, and he had found himself wanting to talk about her in the process. He added, "But yeah… I'm really happy that I'm getting this chance, being together with Kagami."

"I'm glad that things are going so well, Jayde," Kaiya told him sincerely as she struck the winning blow against K', proceeding to turn her head to face her brother, smiling at him. "She's a very nice girl. I wouldn't mind going on a girls' day out with her myself."

"I can arrange that sometime," Jayden beamed back at her, fully loosening his grip on the PlayStation controller and leaving it aside on the floor. "It'd be great if you got along together."

"I'm thinking that we will," Kaiya spoke, a sparkle of mischief appearing in her brown eyes. "Who knows, she might find some stories of your time in grade school entertaining."

"I wouldn't be worried about that if you didn't like to exaggerate them as much as you do, Kai," Jayden replied in a chuckle, nervously rubbing the back of his neck as he did. "And it's not like you were there in any of them."

"Don't worry, Jayde, I'll let you tell her about it yourself," Kaiya said to him as she grinned, reaching out with her hand to pat him on the shoulder.

"Of course I will… at some point," Jayden said as he let out a laugh once more, standing up from the floor with the intentions of taking a piece of chocolate from a whole box of them he had opened earlier.

"Mother's going to call us for dinner in just a while, Jayde," Kaiya reminded him before he managed to pick up anything.

"Oh, right," Jayden spoke, reluctantly stopping himself, smiling at his sister with embarrassment. Nodding at the TV screen behind her, he said, "Good game, by the way. Almost had you, even with your incessant distractions."

"You think I wasn't also distracted talking to you?" Kaiya replied, standing up from her seat on the floor herself, ruffling her shoulder-length hair a little.

"Certainly not as much as I was though," Jayden nodded confidently with an amused smile, proceeding to sit down on the couch and sighing a little as he asked her, "What do you have in mind to do tomorrow?"

"I'm thinking of going to the Minami Saitama center with Kasumi sometime actually," Kaiya told him, putting her hands on her waist. "Apparently there's a big mall there that I'll shop for some new clothes at."

"Ah, you know how to get there right?" Jayden asked her, his brows involuntarily furrowing a little with concern.

"Yeah I do, don't worry big brother," Kaiya grinned at him. "The subway line that you go to school to, I know."

"That's right," Jayden nodded her way in response just when the door to the corridor suddenly opened, their mother Alycia appearing on the other side, leaning out but not getting in. Her light green eyes were on the box of chocolates in front of Jayden immediately.

"Couldn't you wait until dinner?" she asked him as she let out a chuckle.

"What? No, I opened those when I got back from school," Jayden quickly defended himself as his cheeks flushed, not failing to notice the grin that Kaiya sent his way.

"Don't worry, Jayden, I just hope that there won't be too many leftovers after dinner," Alycia assured him with a soft smile on her face. "Well, both of you can come to the kitchen, the food's ready," she then added, leaving the door opened as she disappeared again.

"A rematch after that?" Kaiya suggested, looking in her brother's direction on their way out of the hall.

"That fight took it out of me already," Jayden said in defeat, shaking his head as he smiled at her.

He knew the perfect way to relax after what had been a rather tiring week – casually play a scheduled game of _Surface Breach_ with Konata and try out more of Kagami's list of songs that she had given him. The mellow, yet emotional music she liked to listen to somehow captured her well, and it managed to call back to his feelings for her. He had enjoyed the songs he heard so far, and when he had started up his music player in the subway again when he parted with Kagami, he couldn't help but think of her when they played. And that was always a pleasant feeling.

* * *

Having sat down on the bed in her room a bit after dinner, Konata held her cell phone to her ear, listening to Kagami on the other end while idly listing through the pages of the most recent issue of _Master of the Dungeon_. Her friend had called her a few minutes ago, and thanks to her Konata had finally been able to locate where she had left her cell phone – finding it in the most peculiar place among her pile of manga books.

"Doesn't that defeat the purpose of having a cell phone in the first place?" Kagami was saying to her with an incredulous tone. "I was just about to put mine down when you finally responded."

"There's always the home phone that I can use," Konata replied while shrugging nonchalantly. "I keep forgetting to bring my cell to school with me anyway."

"You're the opposite of Tsukasa," Kagami answered amusedly, letting out a chuckle. "Now that she got her hands on a phone, it doesn't leave her hand. In fact I think I just got a message from her."

"She'll get bored of that soon enough," Konata told her from experience, grinning to herself while glancing at her computer, keeping watch on her online messenger. "I was really excited when I got my first phone too and what games I could install on it, but I wasn't able to get into it. I started forgetting about it the next day."

"Well, that's the other extreme," her persistent friend retorted, clearly placing more importance on cell phones than she thought was necessary. "It's important for Tsukasa to have her phone with her when she goes out so she could always contact us or vice versa, if something were to happen."

"Don't get too overbearing on your poor sister, Kagamin," Konata spoke with her lips pulling into a smirk, awaiting the all too amusing reaction that always followed after her teasing.

"Who's overbearing?" Kagami replied, adorably annoyed, just like Konata expected her to be, briefly grinning at herself again.

"Anyway, it still gets pretty annoying to remember to bring your phone with you every day," she shook her head, closing her eyes dramatically while recalling with a rueful sigh, "Besides, you can't use it to look up things in class anymore. You always have to give it to the teacher before an exam begins."

"Of course they wouldn't want students cheating, Konata, and it's pretty easy to do so with a phone," Kagami thought to painfully remind her, eliciting another sigh on her part.

"So what do you plan on doing tomorrow?" Konata felt like changing the topic, flipping through the pages of her manga book once more. "Please don't tell me that you're going to be studying again."

"No, I'm going out with Jayden," Kagami answered, the tone of her voice noticeably excited. "We'll be going to an ice cream café that his sister told him about."

"Oh, I see," Konata simply said initially, not particularly taken aback to hear it, not failing to miss her cue, "Makes sense. Both of you should feel right at home there."

"I imagine so," Kagami merely giggled in reply, surprising her by not being irritated like she thought she'd be. "I'm really excited to be with him again regardless, just the two of us together again."

"Make sure you don't eat too much though," she then added teasingly. "You finally have somebody to show off your swimsuit to, after all."

"That's… I'm just going to eat as much as I'd like," Kagami replied after a second, her voice giving away the fact that she was rather flustered, making Konata grin once more.

"Just mentioning," she said innocently, enjoying the brief awkward silence between them.

"What about you, Konata? Any plans of your own?" her friend soon decided to curiously ask her, changing the topic herself.

"Not much, I may check out that manga store at Kasukabe. I read everything I have this week," Konata answered, taking a look at the stack of books near her computer that she had completed recently. Why did they always seem so short, and why did the wait for the next volumes have to be so long…

"What about your studies? Didn't you say you were going to catch up on that yesterday?" Kagami inquired with apparent concern in her voice.

"Most homework isn't due until at least Wednesday," Konata reminded her with a shake of her head. "I'm good at doing everything the night before so there's no need to worry."

"I wouldn't believe you if you didn't miraculously do so many times before," Kagami let out an amused giggle as she said it. "Just make sure you don't get into trouble."

"It'll be alright," Konata spoke confidently, another moment of silence passing before it was broken by Kagami's voice on the other end of the line.

"And… Konata?" she said with a rather serious tone, piquing Konata's interest. "I just wanted to say, again… thank you for talking to me that day at the library, about Jayden I mean… and for not minding that he and I got together."

"I've already said that there's no problem, Kagami. You don't need to be nervous about it anymore," she reassured her earnestly, taking her eyes off the manga in front of her as she did.

"I know, but… I just felt like saying it," Kagami simply answered her mirthfully, her voice unmistakably sincere and thankful.

It was clear to Konata how much fun her two friends were having and how happy it made them – she didn't want Kagami to have any lingering worries about it because of her, something she wanted to make as clear as she could. It wasn't a lie either, for even if she still felt something, when the time came for the Surface of Lohtar raid in _Surface Breach_ that she took part in with Jayden that night, she enjoyed it as much as she always had.


	17. 26th of June, 2013

**Someone Else**

**Chapter 17: 26****th**** of June, 2013**

As fast as the wind could take her, Konata sprinted across the field outside the school building, catching the eyes of every spectator around her like she always did – those that could follow her, that is. This was all too easy; with a backward glance, she could see that the rest of the girls were already a long way behind. She wasn't quite sure where exactly she got her tremendous speed from, but it wasn't like a natural talent needed any sort of explanation. The most important thing was to simply visualize; it was not too unlike a sports video game where one had to merely press a sequence of buttons at the right time to succeed at. Just like those old gaming stations, fatigue was merely an illusion right now while she ran with all her might.

It wasn't until Konata finally reached the end point of the run that her exhaustion began to set in, causing her to abruptly stop and catch her breath. She exhaled and inhaled heavily while the others still worked their way across the track, now slowly walking towards the bottle of water that she had left for herself by her satchel. While taking a sip from it, she gave her P.E. teacher a grin and a thumbs up, getting an approving nod in return from the obviously pleased Ms. Kuroi. In her cheerful mood, the woman was now standing next to the running field with her arms crossed while she watched the rest of the girls complete the lap. For joined P.E. sessions such as this one, all second-year students were participating, which was the reason for the unusually crowded and active field.

One of the first to reach Konata was Miyuki, wearing the students' P.E. uniform like all the rest, called a buruma – it was made of a pair of navy blue shorts, a short-sleeved white shirt and light gym shoes of the same color.

"You are too fast, Kona-chan," Miyuki said to her as she gave her a nervous smile, panting a little herself as she rested her hands on her knees.

"You're one of the quickest ones yourself, Miyuki," Konata commented while she took another sip of her water while idly looking at the progress of the rest of the girls. "Maybe if you were better at visualizing, you can even beat me."

Her friend gave her a confused look but that went by unnoticed by Konata as her attention was now directed at Kagami approaching them, who was falling behind at least a couple of other students. Her eyes were furrowed as she had a look of concentration on her face, one that she wore until the very end of the lap.

"You're trying too hard, Kagamin," Konata spoke to her when she finally reached them, heading for her own water bottle by her satchel. The blue-haired girl rose her index finger in the air and offered her wisdom, "All you have to do is relax a little and simply visualize."

"I doubt that would work for me, Konata," Kagami replied with a shake of her head, breathing heavily for a few seconds before adding, "I don't think I can have my imagination run as wild as yours."

"It's true that not everybody is capable of the same feat," Konata said while nodding knowingly with her eyes closed, proceeding to take another sip of her water bottle.

"Hey, good work there," a boy's voice beside them could suddenly be heard, directing everybody's attention to Jayden standing next to them with a smile on his face. His eyes gave Konata a glance before they settled themselves on Kagami while he breathed heavily himself, presumably having run at least one lap with the other boys already. He was wearing a boy's buruma himself, sweating a little under the light of the sun.

"Oh, you were watching?" Kagami inquired as she smiled back at him, putting one of her hands on her waist while still holding onto her water bottle with the other.

"Did you complete your lap, Jayden-san?" Miyuki asked, still visibly exhausted from her run.

"Yeah, all of us started earlier so we already finished," Jayden explained, nodding towards the rest of the boys, all of them standing not far from where the girls were, catching their breath themselves. "So I could watch how all of you were doing when I was done, but I don't think I could even see where Konata was at one point."

"I wonder why that was," Konata told him with a teasing smirk on her face as she rubbed her chin, giving Kagami a glance for a second before saying, "Perhaps you were just… too focused on someone else?"

"I may have been," Jayden answered with a blush on his face while he rubbed the back of his neck, his girlfriend's cheeks flushing a little in response as well. He was looking at her as he added with a teasing smile, "And, well… she was much easier to follow too."

"Hey, I'm not that slow," Kagami said while twirling a strand of her hair, still blushing a little while Jayden lightly chuckled with amusement in reply. Konata found herself entertained at the girl's reaction, who then asked the boy, "How was your run, anyway?"

"Not much different than usual," Jayden answered, sighing ruefully as he looked to the side for a brief moment. "I'm not the tallest guy in the class, so I'm pretty far from being the fastest."

"Being tall doesn't have anything to do with it, you just need to visualize, Jayden," Konata spoke with a disapproving voice, shaking her head with mock disappointment, earning herself yet another look of bewilderment in response.

"You may be right… I guess even pretty short people can be fast," Jayden replied while looking at Konata with another playful smile on his face.

"See?" she retorted with confidence as she put both her hands on her waist, strutting towards her satchel to return her water bottle, ignoring Jayden's underlying teasing comment.

"We're pretty much the same height, so I think I could definitely beat you in a run," Kagami folded her arms as she gave Jayden a playful smile of her own, her cheeks still bearing a rosy color.

"Well, we'll just have to see about that," he replied, returning her smile with a challenging look in his eyes.

"Now that would be interesting," Konata commented with amusement as she put her hand on her chin again, returning back to the group that had formed around Kagami and Jayden, now regarding the two with amusement. While throwing Miyuki a glance, Konata then said, "Men are naturally faster, right? So Jayden should have the edge… but we also need to account for Kagamin's ferocity."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kagami asked while furrowing her brows at her friend suspiciously, who grinned even more in response.

What caught everybody's attention next, however, was the arrival of a very flustered Tsukasa, thrashing her arms left and right as she finished with her run, a look of pure exhaustion on her features. All the other girls were done with their lap, now gathered around them, and Konata struggled to see anybody else trailing behind her.

"I—I had a very slow start," Tsukasa spoke nervously at the rest as she lightly scratched her cheek with a finger. "The whistle's sound at the beginning scared me."

"You feeling okay, Tsukasa?" Kagami asked as she lifted her brows and smiled at her sister with concern, both her arms on her waist.

"Yes, I'm just worried if Ms. Kuroi saw me," she replied anxiously as she rested her hands on her knees, eliciting a giggle from her older twin.

"She was probably distracted by Kona-chan's speed anyway," Miyuki spoke hesitantly with reassurance as she smiled meekly at the quickest girl on the field.

"At least it wasn't a starting pistol," Jayden remarked, smiling sympathetically in Tsukasa's direction.

"A good runner must be absolutely fearless," Konata offered her wisdom with a smirk, raising her index finger in the air. "Or at the very least, his speed should be empowered by fear."

After a few seconds of silence, any intentions of somebody replying to Konata's words were laid to rest at the sound of Ms. Kuroi's booming voice from across the field.

"Ariyoshi, come on already," she said in a scolding manner, her arms folded over her red and gray P.E. uniform, turning Jayden's attention to her and the rest of the boys gathered next to her at the start of the running track. Most looked annoyed in their eagerness to begin, others had a curious expression on their face as they looked at him standing beside the girls.

"I apologize, Ms. Kuroi," Jayden soon replied in realization with a blush while rubbing the back of his neck, turning around again to nod in the girls' direction. "I better go," he said while he and Kagami exchanged a smile, lingering for just a second before heading to the boys' group once more for what was apparently yet another lap they had to do.

"Jayden-san broke off from the boys while still in class?" Tsukasa inquired curiously after a moment, still a little breathless from her run.

"Next thing you know he'll be visiting Kagami's classroom with the lessons still going on," Konata joked, giving her pigtail-haired friend a knowing look. "Attached at the hip already, are we?"

"Well, they were obviously taking a break," Kagami spoke with a blush, pulling back a strand of her hair behind her ear as she did, a smile on her face as she held her gaze on Jayden amidst the boys. "I mean, he didn't break any rules or anything."

"Ms. Kuroi didn't reprimand him either," Tsukasa added observantly with a nod after having taken a sip from her water bottle, now putting the cap back in its place.

"Still, he didn't wait for the end of class like usual," Konata reminded her, her attention momentarily turning towards the boys from the sound of Ms. Kuroi's whistle signalling the beginning of their next run. Out of sight behind her, Tsukasa fidgeted slightly in response to the sudden noise.

"He didn't this time, yeah," Kagami simply stated mirthfully, turning her head a little in Konata's direction, flashing her a smile as she did. Saying nothing else, she briefly glanced back at Jayden, who was running along with the other boys on the far end of the field.

It wasn't long after that when the girls were reminded by Ms. Kuroi that P.E. class wasn't over yet, all of them realizing that they had to prepare for another run themselves. That was Konata's cue to set her mind to simply visualize the track once more as she and the other girls readied their positions at the starting line.

* * *

A rather ominous gathering of clouds had befallen Kuki-shi in the Thursday afternoon a few hours afterward, accompanied by an unusually strong, cold wind that now blew in the area around Takanomiya Shrine. The sun was hidden somewhere behind the overcast sky, with the only indication of its position being the light that seemed to emanate from one of the clouds above. All of this had become somewhat of a rare view lately, for it was this day that ended the long streak of pleasant weather everybody had recently gotten used to.

The last class of school had ended a while ago already, and Kagami was heading towards the Hiiragi household with Tsukasa and Jayden, who had decided to walk both of them home. His hand was intertwined with Kagami's, who only now remembered that the morning's weather forecast mentioned something about a pretty bad storm later in the day. She turned to look at Jayden with concern, realizing that he'd most likely be caught up in the storm on his way home. The shrine they were walking past was curiously quiet, the people around growing fewer in number as the wind became stronger, bringing a few rainclouds nearby even closer to them in the process.

"It looks like it's going to rain, Jayden," she stated a little worriedly, the cold wind making her slightly shiver.

"Oh, I brought an umbrella, don't worry," he replied while giving her a smile, not seeming particularly impressed by the suddenly dreadful weather. "I heard that these next few days are going to be pretty bad."

"It's not going to last for very long, is it?" Tsukasa asked anxiously, turning her head in her sister and Jayden's direction, leaning forward a little while her hands clutched her satchel.

"Only until the end of the week, they say," Jayden answered as he nodded Tsukasa's way. "We could use a little rain before it gets too hot, actually."

"We could, but you're still going to be cold now, with only your summer uniform on," Kagami spoke, her voice still etched with concern, her eyes on Jayden's white short-sleeved shirt for a moment.

"Well, I might be, but it won't be for long, at least. The station isn't that far away," he said reassuringly with a smile, one that didn't falter even as another gust of the cold wind hit them, ruffling his hair as it did.

"I should've remembered to remind you so you won't have to be caught in the rain now…" Kagami's voice trailed off as she looked forward a bit apologetically.

"Don't worry about it, I would've probably gone with you anyway. I wanted to," Jayden replied calmly, gently tightening his grip on her hand for a moment, causing her to turn her head in his direction again. "And it looked perfectly fine from the subway a while ago – the weather can sure change quick here."

"It can, and it has a lot, from what I remember," Kagami nodded his way in return, feeling a soft smile creep up on her lips after hearing his response.

"Well, if anything, I might be able to focus on that history essay we have to do when I get back," Jayden told her, proceeding to rub the back of his head as he added with a smile, "Not before taking a nap first, though… P.E. classes really take it out of me."

"I'll follow your example, Jayden-san," Tsukasa chimed in again enthusiastically.

"I'm feeling tired myself. It's bad enough that we have a couple more classes after that too," Kagami spoke, the three of them nodding at the same time in agreement.

"I know," Jayden then said with a rueful sigh, slowly running a hand through his hair as he did so, looking ahead. "We should try to get today's schedule switched a little so we could have P.E. last. It's difficult to concentrate on anything after that because I usually feel so exhausted."

"Me too, especially when we have an exam right after that," Tsukasa replied, suddenly appearing tired even now at the mere thought.

"You and Konata can pull the strings for a schedule switch," Kagami suggested, receiving a confused look from him in return. She clarified, gesturing her free hand towards him, "You occasionally play _Surface Breach_ with Ms. Kuroi too, right? It's something you could mention to her sometime."

"She doesn't like to think about school while there if it's not to scold us for staying too late or remind Konata about homework," Jayden replied, a soft chuckle escaping his mouth, proceeding to nod confidently as he looked at Kagami, saying, "But it's a good idea anyway, I'll bring it up sometime."

The Hiiragi household was already in their sights at the end of the narrow street they were now walking on, with the leaves of the tall tree next to it blown by the relentless wind.

It was only a matter of time before they reached the entrance and Jayden would have to part ways with them for the day and head to his own house. Right now, the feeling of his hand in Kagami's gave her warmth, and she found herself gently squeezing it in return herself. She brushed away strands of her hair that got in her face from the force of the wind while already feeling the first few raindrops that had already started falling just when they reached the gate.

"Just in time…" Tsukasa stated, relief in her voice as she hid beneath the wall's tiny canopy next to the household door.

"Yeah, good thing the rain didn't catch us on the way here," Jayden spoke as he started rummaging through his satchel, supposedly looking for the umbrella he had brought with him, relinquishing Kagami's hand when he did. She slowly started looking through her own bag herself for the keys, not hurrying to do so as she thought, paying little mind to the few raindrops she felt falling on her.

From the looks of things, it was going to rain heavily in a while, and while they were already home, it was Jayden who had to walk all the way to the station now, or…

Now holding onto the house keys, Kagami lifted her head as she looked at the gate with a thoughtful look in her eyes.

If she were to invite him in, even if it was just until the rain passed, her mother and the rest of her family would be there themselves – or, at the very least, her two older sisters would soon. They had heard of Jayden before, but not as who he was to her now, not as her boyfriend… she didn't want him to catch a cold, nor was she looking forward to parting with him now.

But… him meeting up with them shouldn't be something spontaneous as it would be now, nor did she want him feeling uncomfortable, or unprepared to do that… even if she didn't want him to leave now…

Suddenly, the raindrops stopped falling on her even though their intensity clearly increased, judging by the sound and the increasingly soaked pavement. Turning her head upwards a little, she noticed a black umbrella protecting her from the rain, one that Jayden held over the two of them. She proceeded to look in his direction and was met with the smile that played on his features as he looked back at her. It was a smile that she couldn't help return herself, which was joined by a subtle blush on her face as she gazed into his light green eyes for a brief moment.

The strong, cold wind suddenly reappeared, making his hand on the umbrella shake a little as he held it.

"Jayden, I'll go and get you a jacket," Kagami then told him confidently with a nod of her head. "It's pretty cold already, and the rain's just starting."

Jayden's lips parted slightly in surprise for a few seconds as he looked at her, still holding the umbrella over the two of them. "It's okay, Kagami, I'll try to make it to the station quickly if it gets worse," he soon replied her.

"Don't worry about it, Jayden. You need a jacket more than I do right now," Kagami spoke in insistence while nodding again, walking up to the door of the house and proceeding to open the gate. Turning her head around to him again, she added, "I'll be back in just a second."

Not wasting any time, Kagami hurriedly walked through the small front yard, soon finding herself in the hallway of the house after she opened the front door. She faced the coat rack on the wall, picking up her long-sleeved black jacket as soon as she noticed it among the others worn by the rest of her family. Once she left her satchel on the cupboard to bring to her room later, Kagami went outside again amid the intensifying rain.

Jayden was still standing next to the gate with his one hand in the pocket of his trousers while holding onto the umbrella with the other, saying his goodbyes with Tsukasa. His eyes then went to Kagami's when she appeared from the gate with the jacket in her hand.

"See you in the house, Sis," Tsukasa told her twin as she went for the gate in time to rescue herself from the rain.

"I'm coming in a bit, Tsukasa," Kagami nodded her sister's way as she beamed at her before she entered the household. She proceeded to walk up to Jayden immediately afterward, gently holding the jacket near the back of his shoulders, saying to him mirthfully, "Here you go."

"I should've remembered to bring my own in the morning, but… thank you, Kagami," he told her appreciatively with a smile as she helped him put each of his arms through the sleeves.

"It's no problem, Jayden," Kagami said to him with a smile of her own, walking up in front of him while still under the cover of his umbrella, still keeping one of her hands on his shoulder. As she looked at him, she noticed that her jacket actually went along well with his black trousers, both of them in a nice contrast to his white-colored school uniform.

"Oh, it looks good on you," Kagami said to him, lifting up her gaze to notice Jayden's rosy colored face looking back at her.

"It does?" he asked her as he proceeded to bend his head downward for a moment, a mix of incredulity and worry in his voice that couldn't help but make Kagami giggle.

"Well, it's true that it's not technically a unisex jacket, but it could probably pass as a man's one on you," she then spoke in an attempt to reassure him, having withdrawn her hand from his shoulder and put it on her waist.

"That's what worries me, actually," Jayden replied with a heartfelt chuckle in response to another giggle she let out. The two briefly stayed in silence, keeping their eyes on each other while the light rain lazily fell around them. The boy eventually broke the silence with an appreciative nod, "It's certainly warm, though. It helps a lot."

"I'm glad to hear that," Kagami answered joyfully, keeping the smile on her features that still bore signs of her earlier amusement. "That's the important thing."

"It is," Jayden said in agreement, already returning her smile, his eyes not wavering from hers.

After a couple of seconds of looking into a very unique shade of light green, Kagami felt her face begin nearing Jayden's, a movement he seemed to already mimick himself. With a blush on her cheeks, she closed her eyes in her approach while slightly tilting her head to the side, and soon enough, her lips were on his own again.

The sound of rain falling on the umbrella above them was immediately defeaned as she relished in feeling his soft kiss on her lips, one that she tenderly returned too. As her lips brushed against his once more, she felt herself slightly shiver – not from the cold this time, but from the warmth pulsating through her as a result of his mouth's contact with hers.

Kagami could already feel another joyful smile forming on her lips when they eventually parted with Jayden's as she now found herself already looking into the same light green color again. It was then when she realized that her hand had instinctively went to rest on the boy's shoulder during their kiss. Now, it was his warm breath on her face that seemed to somehow protect her from the cold.

"You better head inside," Jayden soon said to her with concern in his voice. "You're the one without a jacket now, after all."

"I guess I should've brought a pair of them," Kagami replied with a soft chuckle while pulling back a lock of hair behind her ear, feeling cheeks flush a little more. "In a rush to get one for you, I forgot."

"You do have another one, right?" Jayden suddenly asked worriedly in realization. "If it's going to stay cold, you'll need one for the morning before I return this to you."

"Don't worry, I do," Kagami spoke reassuringly, nodding Jayden's way, who was just adjusting the collar of the black jacket she had given him.

"That's good," he replied, visibly relieved. The smile reappeared on his face when he added after another brief moment of silence, "Well, I'll be seeing you tomorrow, Kagami."

"See you then, Jayden," Kagami said to him mirthfully in response, staying underneath the umbrella with him for a bit more before she quickly moved towards the gate of the household, trying to avoid getting wet from the rain.

She still managed to spare Jayden one last glance before she closed the door down behind her and started heading inside, the smile lingering on her face as she sprinted through the front yard.

* * *

A few hours later, Kagami was sitting on the chair of her desk, leaning backwards with her arms behind her head. She had already changed from her school uniform to a short-sleeved, dark green blouse, along with a blue skirt that was the color of the dominant bluish nuance of her eyes. The notebook in front of her was filled with her musings on the subject of Kirishitan, an essay that she had to complete for a future class in school. Her attention was now somewhere else, however, for her gaze was locked onto the window of her room, or rather, what was on the other side of it.

The still cloudy sky was in her sight as she contemplated about what had occurred to her when she and Jayden had stood outside the gate of her house a while ago – about inviting him there. Before she had decided to simply give him her jacket instead… which looked surprisingly nice on him, too.

A soft, quiet chuckle escaped her mouth at the brief recollection of the image. The look in her eyes, however, still hinted at the deeper thoughts that went on in her mind. A smile had also appeared on Kagami's face upon remembering Konata's words from earlier as she thought – her friend was right; she and Jayden really were attached at the hip. They had been dating for a while now, and ever since they got together, she wasn't particularly willing to part ways with Jayden after school, finding herself wanting to spend a little more time with him each day. This afternoon was not an exception.

Despite wanting him to come inside her house, Kagami judged that she'd better properly introduce him to her parents first – and talk to them about him beforehand as well, for that matter. She had yet to reveal that Jayden was something more than a friend to her…

Was that what she felt ready to do so now, then? Even if she did, she still couldn't say what their reaction to hearing something like this would be… Would they accept that their daughter was dating somebody? Would they be interested in meeting him?

Thinking on it herself, she knew what she wanted to happen – for Jayden to finally come see her house, to be able to visit her afterwards too, to be acquainted with her family, and to be accepted by them… It was an important step regardless, however, one that she didn't want to take lightly…

And what about Jayden himself? Would he be ready to meet with the rest of Kagami's family as her boyfriend? If he was just as serious about the two of them, then he should be…

As for her parents… if she were to introduce them to him, would they accept him to the point that they'd perhaps even get along with him?

The thought that they could brought her no small degree of excitement and put a smile on Kagami's face, her eyes lighting up. She still kept her head turned towards the window while she continued musing, her ears catching the soothing sound of the ongoing rain outside, easing up the nervousness she felt about her intentions.

Perhaps it could work out, like she expected it to, and possibly even make her more relaxed about dating Jayden in the process… It wasn't too much to hope for, was it?

As Kagami stood up from her chair and walked up to her window, still looking out towards something in the distance, she could feel that her mind on the matter was made.

* * *

The sound of the running television channel boomed across the hall of the Hiiragi household one more hour later. A set of bluish eyes were reflected on the screen as they idly watched the game show before the evening news.

On the opposite side of the TV, Kagami sat with her legs crossed on the yellow couch, leaning back while slowly running a hand through a pigtail of her hair in an absent-minded manner. Her eyes were on the screen in front of her, her ears picking up the sound of spectators cheering for yet another correctly answered question by the contestant. However, Kagami's thoughts still revolved around breaking the news to her family and informing them of her relationship with Jayden. The time for dinner was fast approaching, with her father and older sisters already having returned from work and college respectively.

Her intentions of revealing something as intimate to her as this brought about a bit of nervousness, but she remained optimistic and determined regardless. The fact that she actually had such news to announce was also exciting in a way, for she would've never thought she'd have anything like this to share with her family this soon. Not before a certain transfer student showed up at her school and eventually sparked a curious interest in her; an unexpected, foreign feeling to her at the time.

It was the arrival of her sleepy-looking twin that shook Kagami out of her pleasant reverie, her attention diverted to the yawn that Tsukasa was now letting out. The younger sister wore a short-sleeved red T-shirt, covered with two suspenders from the denim jeans she had also put on. Standing next to the door that led to the corridor, Tsukasa smiled meekly at her sibling.

"You must've been exhausted, Tsukasa," Kagami said to her with a smile on her face, now leaning a little bit forward as she looked her way. "Any more sleep and I would've had to wake you up for dinner."

"I'm always this tired after P.E.," Tsukasa replied, slowly approaching Kagami and lazily sitting down on the couch next to her, turning her head in her direction. "I feel refreshed now though, Sis."

"That's good," Kagami answered happily, her body slightly turned on the couch to face her sister better. "I managed to take a short nap myself and also finish up with that history essay."

"Oh," Tsukasa uttered in sudden realization, her tone sounding a bit nervous as she added with her eyes closed her smile anxious, "I'll get to it soon. Tomorrow is a lighter day… I could do it then."

"Didn't your nap give you some energy to work on it a little today?" Kagami asked, tilting her head to the side a little while intertwining her hands on top of her knee.

"It did, but… I guess it's already too late to begin now," Tsukasa answered while rubbing the back of her neck.

"Well, there's some time left until the deadline at Saturday, at least," Kagami spoke with a reassuring smile appearing on her features. "If you need any help with it, let me know."

"I will, Sis," her twin nodded appreciatively as she returned the smile, visibly eased up now. A brief moment passed before she turned her head to the TV screen, and in a bit, she proceeded to curiously ask, "This question is tough. I have no idea what chemical elements compose glucose… were the rest of the questions this hard?"

"I wasn't paying attention," Kagami retorted, following her sister's gaze to the screen while explaining to her, "I was actually thinking about telling our parents about Jayden over dinner… now that everybody's here too."

"Oh, you will tell them today?" Tsukasa asked with a surprised tone in her voice, her figure facing her sister again, her brows lifted in curiosity.

"I plan to, yeah… I guess it's about time I did anyway. If they want to and he's okay with it, I'd like to introduce him to them as well," Kagami added, smiling at the thought again before looking at Tsukasa once more, asking her seriously, "What do you think?"

"I think it would be nice if Jayden-san visits us," her sister spoke after a moment of contemplation, nodding her head at her twin approvingly in the process. After a few more seconds, the smile returned on her features. "I don't believe mom and dad would have a problem with you and him, especially if they got to know him."

"I hope so…" Kagami replied, sighing a little as she leaned backwards on her seat once again. "To tell you the truth, I wanted to invite him in today, but… I figured I'd talk to them first."

"You're probably right, Sis… I haven't thought of that myself," Tsukasa said, still beaming at the other girl, her head turned back to look at her. "Jayden-san probably won't mind meeting them either."

Kagami's gaze locked itself on the TV screen again as she momentarily went back to thinking Jayden's feelings on the matter, her sister's eyes still on her in the meantime. This was a serious step, and If Jayden felt like he needed more time, even if Kagami were to tell her parents about him regardless, she'd make sure that he could have it… the last thing she wanted to do was force anything on him.

The sudden sound of a door opening brought both girls' attention to the source – it was their brown-haired older sister Matsuri looking back at them, her hand still on the handle, leaning in from the dining room.

"Come on, dinner's ready," she urged them both with her lips pulled into a smile, her hazel eyes looking from one to the other for a second until she turned around and went back to the room she appeared from, leaving the door open.

Kagami found herself sighing heavily as she stood up from the couch alongside her twin, bending over for a second to grab the remote and turn off the TV while Tsukasa waited for her by the door.

Soon, Kagami would tell everyone about Jayden, not as her new friend anymore, but as something more than that…

Despite the nervousness she still felt, her talk with Tsukasa had succeeded in lessening it, relaxing it some. The news she'd give was about something that made her happy, which she had given a fair bit of thought before… and was serious about.

Before walking through the door, Tsukasa and Kagami shared a nod between themselves, one more reassuring smile on the former's face that further put the latter at ease.

With a cheerful countenance, the older twin looked at her family gathered around the dining table, everybody already sitting on the little green floor cushions, awaiting the two remaining people to take their seats alongside them as well. Kagami soon sat down herself, with Tsukasa following suit beside her, the two of them facing their parents on the other side of the table.

Their mother Miki was wearing a long-sleeved light green blouse and grayish trousers, the color of which matched her long, straight hair. Tadao, their father, had put on a casual brown button-up shirt as soon as he returned from work which matched both his eyes and short hair. Matsuri and Inori had taken their place on either side of them, their shoulders straightened out like their parents' as they waited.

The distinct, tasty smell of sukiyaki suddenly filled Kagami's nostrils before she even saw the dish served in the middle of the table, her gaze hungrily locking itself onto it immediately afterwards. She barely had time to clap her hands together and utter along with the rest of the family:

"Let's eat!"

After that was said, everybody reached out with their chopsticks towards the food, with Kagami picking a few pieces of the sliced beef first, collecting them in the bowl she held in her other hand.

"It's so good!" Tsukasa beside her exclaimed before Kagami had a chance to taste anything herself.

"I'm very happy to hear that, Tsukasa," their mother Miki replied mirthfully, closing her sharp, bluish eyes as she did.

"It really does, like always," Kagami spoke herself after gulping down a piece of the meat, her bowl already halfway filled up.

"You've never failed sukiyaki, mom," Inori added enthusiastically after she ate a piece of the Japanese stew.

"Your secret is that you add a lot of mirin in it, right?" Matsuri asked, her head turned to face Miki, patiently holding a little of everything from the sukiyaki in her bowl until her question was answered.

"Yes, by recipe I should add a lot less than I do, because I don't use as much tofu," Miki explained, nodding her head a little in her daughter's direction.

"You're supposed to mix a little sake in it too, right?" Tsukasa inquired, earning herself a nod from her mother in reply.

"I can also tell that you add the shungiku until after it's simmered a bit, and you've separated the noodles so that the meat isn't toughened either," Matsuri spoke, clearly appearing impressed.

The culinary discussion going on around the table lost on Kagami as she simply continued eating, a part of her already waiting to bring up what's been on her mind for a while now.

"My sukiyaki usually doesn't come out nearly as good," Inori complained as she shrugged her shoulders.

"That's not true, Inori, and you know it," her father Tadao confidently spoke, nodding sternly in her direction for a second before his features softened in an amused smile. "I don't see the difference either way, myself. I can only say it all tastes good every time."

"I guess that's what matters in the end," Miki said as she smiled softly at her husband, the latter returning the gesture in response.

"You better hurry up before everything's taken away, mom," Kagami spoke, noticing that Miki hadn't taken anything from the sukiyaki for herself during the length of the conversation. With a soft smile and a nod in response, her mother took one of the few remaining pieces of sliced beef into her bowl.

A moment of silence fell upon the family, the sound of the rain outside becoming clearer when it did, prompting Kagami to once again start thinking about finally breaking the news of Jayden and her. She could see that Tsukasa gave her an expectant glance or two while she ate as well.

Sighing a little with determination, Kagami put down her bowl on the dining table in preparation for her announcement, now intending on bringing everyone's attention to her. After subtly clearing her throat, she quietly muttered a word or two of self-encouragement to herself before she said anything loud enough for the rest to hear.

"Um… Mom, dad, there's something I've been meaning to tell you," she eventually broke the silence, her eyes moving between her mother and father's curious faces while registering her two older sisters as well, who were also looking at her with intrigue.

"What is it, Kagami?" Tadao inquired, having stopped eating from the bowl he still held in his hand, his voice filled with fatherly concern.

"Well, Tsukasa and I have told you a little about Jayden before, our classmate from school," Kagami began, her hands joined together as she spoke with confidence, her serious tone still keeping her parents' eyes on her.

"You have, yes. He's transfer student from America, right?" Tadao asked, earning himself a nod from Kagami in response immediately afterward. "What about him?"

"As you know, he became a friend of ours," his daughter replied, momentarily glancing at her twin before continuing, "He's in Tsukasa's class, but since I usually hang out there myself, it's already been a while since I've known him."

Her parents nodded once again at Kagami's words, showing their understanding, while Inori's sharp bluish eyes curiously looked at her as she chewed on a piece of the sukiyaki. On the other hand, Matsuri had stopped eating, a somewhat suspicious expression on her face while listening to what Kagami had to say.

"Anyway, what I want to tell you is that he and I... got together recently," she finished, her gaze gauging the reactions of those around her after her last sentence. Both her parents had slightly lifted their brows in surprise, but Matsuri was the one who first spoke a second afterward.

"Going out with a guy now, Kagami?" she said, her hazel eyes narrowed at her younger sister. "I know every girl in high school wants to have a boyfriend as soon as then, but that kind of relationship doesn't really last. It's just making it harder for you to study."

"It isn't like that with Jayden," Kagami immediately retorted, facing Matsuri with conviction in her eyes, her hands now resting on the cushion underneath on either side of her. "I've thought about this a lot, and I know that – I'm not taking this lightly, and I'm still studying just as much as before."

"But I doubt boys think that through when they ask you out, Kagami," her older answered replied with similar confidence, shaking her head a little in disapproval. "Even if they do, their need to be popular among their friends is still there."

"No, I was the one to ask him out," Kagami replied, her words clearly surprising Matsuri, who lifted her brows at her. Miki and Tadao looked like they were about to say something every time either of them spoke, and even if Kagami registered that again, she still added, "And I know he's responsible about it, too, just as I am. He's not agreeing to this to be popular, and that's not the reason I asked him out either."

"He might've said so, but at that age, you can't tell what's going on in a boy's head. What if he just ends up hurting you?" Matsuri quickly answered, apparently not convinced by Kagami's words, but this time Tadao interjected before anything else was said.

"Matsuri," he simply uttered with his voice just slightly raised, silencing the girl in the process. His gaze softened as he looked at Kagami again, though there was still visible surprise on his features.

"I trust Jayden, Matsuri, and I'm not rushing into this," she proceeded to say to her parents, looking at them again with confidence, gesturing with her hand towards them. "I didn't want to only tell you that I've gotten together with him, but that I'm serious about him too. Would you… hear me out?"

"It's alright, dear. We're just surprised," Miki spoke to her, giving her daughter a soft smile, the only man in the room beside her doing the same. "When did you get together with him?"

"A little more than two weeks ago," Kagami honestly replied after doing the math for a brief time, a lapse of silence following afterward, what little food remained on the table forgotten for the moment.

"I can see you're feeling certain about this, Kagami… from what I can tell, he sounds like a nice person," her mother continued, her voice trailing off as she seemingly waited for the two Hiiragi twins to nod in reply, which was what they did.

"I don't know a lot about him. Has he been treating you well?" Tadao inquired, his tone once again sounding concerned and protective.

"He does, dad. Don't worry about that," Kagami replied, the nervousness and anxiety she had been feeling for a while slowly relieving at seeing her parents' reaction. "And he's always been a good friend to me and Tsukasa too."

"Yes, he is, dad," her twin added a little nervously, but sounding sincere nonetheless. "We've been helping each other with our studies as well."

"Ariyoshi-san, was it?" Inori finally chimed in, still wearing a look of intrigue on her face. "I've never had a foreigner in my class before, or one I've met and talked to in college. Ariyoshi-san must be quite interesting for him to be the one you date, Kagami."

"You've had your friends Izumi and Takara over before, but I don't think you've had him invited here," Tadao then said before Kagami had the chance to reply first, his expression now interested as well.

"I, uh, I've been thinking of doing that soon, actually," she informed, her expression changing to one of excitement as she smiled at her parents. "I've been wanting for him to come here, and I think you'd want to meet him anyway."

"Yes, we'd like to," Tadao retorted with a nod after exchanging a look with Miki beside him while Kagami's two older sisters had returned to eating the sukiyaki again. "I would ask you if you're sure of your decision to be with him… but I can see you're confident about it, and I trust your judgement. However, we still want to meet him."

"Yes, of course, dad," Kagami immediately replied, her lips pulling into another smile, her body relaxing as she pushed back a lock of hair behind her ear. "If it's alright with Jayden and you, we can invite him over dinner."

"That sounds good," her father answered, returning Kagami's smile as he ran a hand through his short, dark brown hair, proceeding to look at Miki.

"I can always cook for one more," the woman said cheerfully with her eyes closed, asking Kagami afterwards, "Will he be able to visit us sometime this week?"

"I'll call him and ask him," she replied enthusiastically, sharing a smile between herself and Tsukasa beside her. Already thinking it through in her head, she asked her twin, "Your class had to write that history essay for Saturday, right?"

"Ah, yes, I think so, Sis," she answered after a moment of contemplation.

"I expect Jayden would be working on that himself…" Kagami's voice trailed off as she thought a little again, soon bringing her gaze to her mother's when she asked after that, "Would it be alright for him to come on Saturday if he can't do so any sooner than that? Or later if he can't even then?"

"That's alright," Tadao spoke first, smiling at her daughter reassuringly.

"I'll use the time to buy the ingredients for ramen," Miki added with a mirthful expression herself. "So that there'd be something nice to treat him to when he comes here."

"Unless our foreigner has more specific tastes you need to account for," Inori remarked in an amused tone after finishing up with her bowl of sukiyaki, the pot in the middle of the table already empty.

"Jayden's still adapting in that aspect, but I think ramen should be fine," Kagami spoke as she chuckled a little, her eyes lit up as she simply added happily to her parents, "Thank you."

"It's alright, dear," Miki replied, nodding her head as she grabbed her bowl again, saying before she took a piece of the meal with her chopsticks, "If he's treating you well, and if you don't lose sight of your responsibilities at school, we're happy for you."

"That's not what happened when I was your age," Kagami heard Matsuri's voice finally say something to her again, her sibling's tone now somewhat calmer. Looking at her, she added with her features softened, "But then again, I may not have considered it as much as you have."

"I think I have, Matsuri. It felt right making things happen with Jayden," Kagami said to her with a serious expression on her face, which quickly turned into another smile. "Being with him makes me happy."

"I'm glad it does," her mother smiled softly at her.

When Matsuri herself soon beamed at Kagami in mirth, with an inner sigh of relief, the Hiiragi twin picked up her bowl again to finish off her remaining sukiyaki, a lighter conversation on the table immediately following.

A huge weight off her shoulders was lifted for her to have finally spoken to her family about this, and most importantly, that they accepted such a development in her life. They still had to meet Jayden, yes, but she felt even more confident about the prospect than before, and had faith that it would go well.

In her initial conversation with her family, the words had just left Kagami's mouth by themselves, the certainty in her decision to be with Jayden overcoming the nervousness she would've otherwise consciously felt at that time. In trying to get across how important her boyfriend and her relationship with him was, she had also managed to further convince herself that it was; the fact that she truly was as serious about him as she felt was somehow surprising, even to her.

With a blush of excitement on her cheeks, she already thought about how his meeting with her family would go, along with the fact that it would be his first time seeing her house from the inside as well.

Even if she decided to act on this now, it was as if she always wanted him to finally visit.

* * *

Half an hour afterward, Kagami sat on the bed of her room, hugging her knees with her hand as she did while holding her cell phone to her ear with the other. Her eyes were locked onto the floor while she eagerly waited for Jayden to answer her call, the brief moment passing in wonder as to what he could've been up to just now.

She didn't have to think about it for long, for soon enough she could hear his voice on the other line as soon as he answered the call.

"Hey, Kagami," Jayden said to her, his tone infectiously cheerful.

"Hey, Jayden. How are you doing?" Kagami asked him, pulling back a lock of hair behind her ear as she felt her lips pull into a mirthful smile.

"I was just listening to some of your songs on my player, in fact," he replied, Kagami's eyes lighting up in surprise at his answer.

"Oh, you were?" she inquired, feeling a blush form on her cheeks as she ran her hand through a pigtail of her hair in joy.

"Yeah, I already checked all of them out and I've been listening to a couple of my favorite Miku albums for a while now," Jayden explained.

"I thought you'd enjoy those. You liked Supercell most, didn't you?" Kagami asked excitedly, leaning backward a little as she straightened her legs. "I think it's the closest to your tastes, and it has some English songs in it too."

"You guessed right, actually," Jayden spoke in a chuckle, her correct assumption and the pleasant sound of his laugh making Kagami giggle happily herself. He proceeded to ask her in a teasing tone, "Now, what's my favorite song from it?"

"Well, um, let me think a little," she spoke excitedly, now lying on the bed with her eyes on the ceiling as she thought for a bit with a smile on her face, letting out a little humming noise as she did. "That's not easy, Jayden, there are plenty that you could like a lot… I don't think I can even say which one is my own favorite."

"You managed to guess the album, though. That's something," Jayden reminded, still sounding amused.

"Hmm, I've narrowed it down to the English songs… Melt, perhaps?" Kagami asked in a hopeful tone after briefly considering.

"I'm afraid not, but it's still among the ones I liked most," Jayden replied, and after another moment of silence on the other line, he revealed to her, "You'd be surprised, actually, I thought Hinekuremono was the best – I was just listening to that one when you called."

"Ah, is that so? I like it a lot too, it's a really mellow song, and has some memorable lyrics," she answered, smiling mirthfully once more, adding with excitement, "I thought you'd like some of the ones in English best, but I'm really glad that you're enjoying the other ones just as much."

"Of course, I should be thanking you for giving all of this to me in the first place," he responded.

"It's no problem, I'm happy to have done so," Kagami answered, brushing the bangs away from her eyes, grinning as she inquired, "You haven't forgotten about that essay listening to them though, right?"

"Far from that," he spoke after chuckling a little. "I'm finally getting a chance to relax after working on it so much for the day. I'd imagine you've already done it since it's due in tomorrow for you."

"I have, yeah, and I'm taking a rest before turning in for the night too," she explained, her eyes momentarily glancing at her clock on her nightstand. After letting out a soft sigh, she looked back at the ceiling above and told him earnestly, "We'll see each other tomorrow in school… but I wanted to call you now to ask you if you're going to be able to come over for dinner on Saturday."

"At your house?" Jayden's voice inquired on the other line briefly afterward.

"Yeah," Kagami uttered, nodding her head a little while her hand gently played with her pigtail again. "If you're okay with it, I want to introduce you to my parents. I talked to them about us, and they said they'd like to meet you as well."

"They know we're going out?" Jayden curiously asked, with his girlfriend humming affirmatively in response.

"Everything went alright," she then told him reassuringly, picking up on his slightly anxious tone. "They said they're fine with us together and don't mind it, and that they'd even be happy if you visit us."

"Oh, I'm really glad to hear that, Kagami," Jayden spoke, clearly having relaxed after hearing her response. "In that case, I'd love to visit and meet the rest of your family. I've been curious to see what your house is like too."

"I've been meaning to show it to you as well, Jayden," Kagami answered, her smile appearing on her face once more, the result of her joy at his own enthusiasm. "You'll probably find it pretty different than your own... it's a little more hectic here too."

"It's true that I don't have three other sisters," he retorted, an infectious chuckle escaping his mouth. "But Kaiya is enough to make our place pretty lively at times too. Or used to when she was a little younger."

"At least there's not enough people to wage a war over dinner at your place. Or who would be the one to cook," Kagami retorted amusedly, propping herself up on the bed a little with her elbow.

"True enough. And mom is the only one who can really cook something when she feels like it anyway," Jayden spoke in agreement, adding, "I'm interested in seeing how it's like there regardless."

"It looks like you will, Jayden," Kagami remarked, proceeding to ask her boyfriend afterward, "I know you have that essay to focus on, so that's why I suggested that you come on Saturday instead. Will you be able to then?"

"Yeah, that's fine with me," he confidently answered. "It'd be better if we get this school week over with first anyway."

"That's what I thought too," Kagami said as she nodded her head, pushing back a pigtail of her hair behind her back. "I'm thinking of studying a little for the midterms tomorrow."

"I've been doing that sometimes lately, on and off," Jayden replied, letting out a short sigh in the process. "I'm pretty tired to check anything else today, though. Konata has been bugging me about not showing up in the game enough anyway."

"You weren't expecting her to be writing the essay too, were you?" Kagami asked jokingly, grinning while the boy let out an amused laugh in response.

"Good point," he concurred, his tone now bearing the sound of a hero about to embark on a long, suicidal quest, "But now, I'm thinking of finally indulging and joining her on a rather deadly and unpredictable journey in the Crumbling Caverns."

"Sounds dangerous, Jayden. Don't die on me, okay?" Kagami said to him, blushing a little again as she softly smiled, his immediate chuckle making the rosy color on her cheeks rise even more.

"Don't worry. I'll make sure I survive," he then told her in mock reassurance.

"Then I hope I'll see you alive and well tomorrow," she replied, now leaning a little forward from her bed.

"You will," he spoke, waiting for a bit before saying, "Until then, Kagami."

With that said, it was only shortly afterward when Jayden hung up the phone, leaving Kagami alone with her thoughts once more. She still held the phone in her hand, flipping it closed with her thumb as her gaze dreamily looked ahead, her ears no longer picking up on any rain pouring down outside.

Hearing Jayden agree to meet her parents himself and looking forward to it too caused another wave of relief to wash over her, making the smile that was on her lips remain there for a while afterward. His eventual visit to her house was still very much on her mind, but this time with her excitement clouding over any anxiety she felt. There was a feeling of gratitude for being given this chance to openly be with him, and she could only hope that when her family met him, they'd understand how important he was to her, and what she was seeing in him.


	18. 28th of June, 2013

**Someone Else**

**Chapter 18: 28****th**** of June, 2013**

Late into the rainy Saturday afternoon, Jayden stood a few meters away from the gate to the Hiiragi household, the entrance to his girlfriend's home. While holding onto his large, black umbrella that protected him from the downpour, his eyes gave the house in front of him a thorough look. It was a place he knew quite well already, but unlike the times he came to walk Kagami back here, it was him who would now enter inside.

The sky was already dark enough for the occasional street light to be turned on, the windows of the two-floored building in front of Jayden fully lit as well. A part of them were concealed by a couple of trees in the small front yard, which were both right by the gate itself, while the terrace on the second story was perfectly visible on the other side. It all looked fairly different than Jayden's own home, the yellow color of the walls being yet another thing that wasn't common among the two buildings.

With the inspection of the familiar house over, Jayden checked his wristwatch to see that he had arrived there just in time, even with the time he had spent waiting for the subway. Giving a determined sigh, he walked towards the gate, his black shoes stepping through the wet surface of the street.

Upon reaching the gate, he pressed the bell with his thumb, still feeling slightly nervous about meeting the rest of his girlfriend's family. While he hadn't heard a whole lot about her parents before, if they were anything like Kagami… perhaps his worries would have been for nothing, after all.

He should just be friendly, polite… just be himself… not think too hard on making a good impression on them or anything like that…

Most of all, however, it was her that he wanted to see again.

Hearing the buzzing sound which indicated the unlocking of the gate, Jayden walked through it, heading across the front yard to take note of the already opened door right in front.

It was Kagami who stood right beside it with her hand on the handle, the light from the canopy right above illuminating her features. She was greeting him with a soft smile on her face, her gaze lit up in mirth as it looked directly into his, with a subtle, but visible blush on her cheeks. Her long purple hair hung loosely around her shoulders, with her bangs slightly covering the edge of her eyes while a couple of pigtails rested over her slender form. She was wearing a dark green shirt, one with short sleeves and little black stripes, a round neckline above the button band. It looked really good on her as it tightly fit her body, while it also went well with the short purple skirt she had put on that matched the color of her hair.

"Hey, Jayden," her warm voice said to him while he still approached her, the sound of it bringing back his senses to the present, which had entirely devoted themselves to registering her attractive appearance. Only now did he grow conscious of his momentarily slowed gait.

"Hey, Kagami," he eventually responded with his cheeks flushed, closing the remaining distance between the two as he proceeded to close down his umbrella.

"You had to go through the rain again," Kagami stated apologetically, pushing back a lock of hair behind her ear as she took a backward step into the room inside. "Come in. I hope you weren't feeling too cold."

"Don't worry, I was better prepared this time," Jayden spoke with an honest smile, nodding his head towards the light black jacket he was wearing, which he had managed to keep perfectly dry on the way from the subway station. "I was pretty warm in it."

"I'm glad," Kagami spoke, her voice etched with relief.

"You look really nice," he complimented her as soon as she closed the door behind them. The rosy color on her cheeks rose a little in response, copying the one on his own face.

"Thank you. So do you, Jayden," she replied in a moment, running a hand through a pigtail of hair.

Her eyes were still on his as the two of them smiled at each other until her gaze looked at the umbrella he was carrying in his hand. She then told him, "Let me take this, Jayden. I'll open it up in my room so that it will be dry when you need it again."

"Thanks," he said to her with an appreciative smile, handing it to her in the process.

The two of them were in a small, well-lit room, a coat rack next to them on the wall and a large mirror on the other side, with two open doors to the front and right. One led to a long narrow corridor, while the figure of a tall man had appeared near the other, his brown eyes looking at Jayden's own with apparent interest. He was wearing a gray button-up shirt with long sleeves and a collar around his neck, as well as trousers of a similar, but darker shade.

"Welcome. You must be Ariyoshi-san," he greeted the guest with a smile on his cleanly shaved face.

"Hello, Mr. Hiiragi. Pleased to meet you," Jayden was quick to reply, doing a slight bow in the older man's direction per Japanese customs, almost forgetting to do so.

"The weather outside looks quite dreadful. I hope you have not travelled far to get here," Mr. Hiiragi replied, his arms at his sides as he kept his gaze on Jayden, who had straightened up in the meantime.

"I did not, Mr. Hiiragi, I am coming from the subway station nearby," came his answer, nodding his head a little at the older man, whose appearance didn't particularly remind him of any of Kagami's physical traits. He seemed genuinely welcoming, however.

"It's the same station Tsukasa and I use to go to school," Kagami clarified for her father.

"I see," Mr. Hiiragi said in a nod, briefly looking at his daughter before turning to face Jayden again. Gesturing towards the wall right next to them, he spoke, "You may take off your shoes and use the coat rack to hang up your jacket."

"Thank you," Jayden replied, glancing in Kagami's direction to see her smiling at him in a reassuring manner, her hands still holding onto his closed umbrella. Somehow he wasn't feeling as nervous as he thought he would be at this moment.

He proceeded to take off and neatly put his jacket on the coat rack, barely finding the only empty hook he could use to do so. After he removed his shoes and put them next to the long line of footwear by the doormat as well, he looked back at Mr. Hiiragi to see a newly appeared figure next to him.

The shorter woman's sharp, bluish eyes that bore an uncanny resemblance to Kagami's were regarding Jayden with intrigue as she smiled at him. She had a long straight hair, slightly grayish in color, a few strands of which were hanging loosely in front of her slim body. Her attire was made up of a long-sleeved beige blouse and a pair of brown trousers, along with socks of the same color on her feet.

While the woman looked like she was in her forties, Jayden could still see where Kagami got her looks from.

"Good evening, Ariyoshi-san," she greeted him with a pleasant tone in her voice, tying her hands together in front of her.

"Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Hiiragi," he answered her, bowing her way in a similar fashion as before.

"We are happy to have you as our guest, Ariyoshi-san," Mrs. Hiiragi spoke, doing a slight bow herself as she did. "I hope you like ramen, because dinner will be ready soon."

"Oh, yes, I do," Jayden replied eagerly, returning the two elders' smiles as he eased up once more.

"I think he'll enjoy it, mom, especially since you decided to make it with fish meat," Kagami chimed in with excitement.

"That is good to hear," Mrs. Hiiragi said joyfully, closing her eyes for a moment as she did. "It will probably be a little while longer until it is finished. We will leave you in Kagami's care until it is."

After all three exchanged a nod among themselves, Mr. and Mrs. Hiiragi went through the door they came from, the sound of a television running coming from that same room. Putting his hands inside the pockets of his black trousers, Jayden turned to face Kagami, who was still beaming at him.

"Don't worry, Jayden, you can relax. They seem to like you already," she told him reassuringly while she brushed the bangs away from her eyes.

"You can tell?" he asked hopefully, his cheeks flushing a little again.

"Yeah. They were excited about you coming here too," she informed, slightly nodding her head in reaffirmation. "Mom has been worried about not messing anything up with the ramen, either."

With that said, a familiar face peered through the door to the room next to the one they were in, catching both of their attention as soon as it did.

"Jayden-san," Tsukasa merely said at first, smiling at the house guest warmly. "I'm glad to see you!"

"Same here, Tsukasa. How are you doing?" Jayden asked the younger Hiiragi twin.

"I'm watching my favorite gaming show on TV before dinner," she explained, closing her eyes in mirth as she added, "Saturday is such a nice day, isn't it?"

"I'm glad we finally finished up with those essays, that's for sure," Jayden replied, nodding her way with relief in his voice. "And no tests to worry about next week, either."

"Yes, but don't forget that midterms are coming soon and having some time to ourselves like now won't be a luxury for a while," Kagami reminded, her boyfriend letting out a rueful sigh in response.

"Let's not think that far ahead tonight though," Tsukasa worriedly said in a chuckle, briskly waving her hand dismissively while rubbing the back of her neck with the other.

"Alright, we won't," Kagami let out an amused giggle, the sound of which made Jayden widen his smile a little more as he turned to face his girlfriend again. Looking back at him herself, she told him excitedly, "Let me show you my room, Jayden. We'll leave your umbrella to dry up there too."

"Lead the way, then," he replied affirmatively.

"Oh, the commercials are already over," Tsukasa said in realization as she glanced back at the TV somewhere in the meantime, proceeding to go back into what appeared to be the hall.

Kagami, on the other hand, headed towards the corridor which the other door led to, with Jayden following right after her. It was lit like the rest of the house; there was a simple, long white carpet on its floor, while the walls were decorated with a few peculiar black and white paintings. They looked like the ones hung on the walls of the Takanomiya Shrine, which he remembered being just as foreign to him.

After passing two doors on their way through, they arrived at a staircase leading to the second floor, but it was the door right before that apparently led to Kagami's room. She opened it up with her free hand and looked back at Jayden before she entered.

"I realize it's not at its best state right now, but…" her voice trailed off, her cheeks gaining a little color once more.

"Mine's probably worse, don't worry," Jayden replied as he shook his head to the side, a chuckle escaping his mouth while he followed her inside.

The light on the ceiling was already on, illuminating what looked like a clearly more organized room than his own. What caught Jayden's eye first was the desk right beside him, a notebook filled with her handwriting on top with a pen next to it, a row of books lined up by the wall as well. He didn't fail to notice the small open box of pocky on the right side of the desk by the lamp, only a couple of sticks remaining inside of it.

"I see you've sweetened up your homework experience," Jayden immediately commented with an amused grin on his features.

"I'm sure you know that I tend to do that by now," Kagami answered with a blush on her face, pushing back a lock of hair behind her ear as she watched him continue looking around her room. "I had some only a fair bit ago, though. My appetite for ramen isn't lost."

"Oh, I believe you. I had just enough time at home after school to eat some sweets myself," Jayden replied, the two of them sharing a smile right afterward.

"You've spent that time wisely, then," Kagami jokingly said to him.

The desk was placed next to a rather large rectangular window with two white curtains still pulled back on either side of the glass, which revealed the still ongoing rain outside. In the corner to the right was Kagami's bed, the cover of it neatly made, a couple more books on the adjacent wooden nightstand. There was an amusing lone bear plush resting against the bed, a snobby-looking green hat on its head.

"Who's this little fellow here?" Jayden inquired, nodding at the toy, his attention turned to the sound of an umbrella opening right beside him.

"He's one of my first plush toys," Kagami explained, straightening up after having put down Jayden's umbrella on the floor bellow the window. Her cheeks were still flushed as she spoke again, "I think he's cute, so… I kept him around. Don't tell me you've thrown away all of your plushes?"

"I gave away all my plush toys to Kaiya, so if there's something left, she'd have it," Jayden replied, immediately adding after recalling something, "I have a few mini cars left in a drawer in my room, though. Didn't have the heart to throw them away – they were my favorites."

"Well… I guess that still counts," Kagami replied, idly twirling a strand of her hair with her finger for a moment as she stood right next to him. "I think Tsukasa now has some of my previous toys, too."

An intriguing cover caught Jayden's attention in the middle of their conversation – it belonged to one of the books on her nightstand, which appeared to actually be a manga.

"Ah, I see you've picked up a new manga," he nodded towards the book.

"I had it stashed away for some time, I figured I'd finally read it," Kagami informed, looking at it for a bit with a thoughtful expression. "I picked it up at the store in Kasukabe out of curiosity, I wasn't really sure whether it'd be something I'd like… it's essentially a josei romance story."

"I guess it makes sense," Jayden spoke while grinning with amusement, pointing at the huge portrait of the man on the cover and the small, distant figure of the girl. "From what I've gathered, josei naturally has the most handsome-looking guys possible."

"Well… it's not like the girls in manga directed at guys are ugly either," Kagami retorted, putting her hands on her waist as she looked at Jayden with her brows lifted.

"True enough," he conceded with an chuckle.

On the opposite side of the bed was a fairly big, wooden wardrobe, a long mirror on the front of it reflecting his figure as his gaze went past it. The glimpse was enough to make him stretch the hem of the short-sleeved black shirt he had on upon seeing that it was slightly wrinkled.

Jayden then returned Kagami's gaze, and smiled.

All of this was her room… that desk there was where she did her homework and studied… the bed was where she slept… those books there were the ones she read. Just knowing all of this was hers made the room itself feel cozy and pleasant to be in… it was somehow fitting for Kagami.

"Well… this is my room," she said in a concluding tone while she walked up to the chair by the desk, as if reading his thoughts, and sat down.

"It's really nice," Jayden spoke, slowly approaching her again as he looked around once more. "I don't think I can imagine it in a better state than it already is, though."

"I could have cleaned up my desk a little, though," Kagami reminded, tilting her head a little in his direction.

"Ah," Jayden simply uttered as he slightly waved a hand dismissively before putting it back in his pocket. "If there's one thing in my room that's never in order, it's my desk."

"But it usually isn't the only thing," Kagami teasingly retorted with an amused grin while looking upwards to him.

"Usually… and to think that I always try to clean most of it up before you visit," Jayden said in a chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck as he did, glancing through the window beside them for a moment.

"Don't worry about it too much," Kagami replied with a soft smile on her face, reaching out and gently wrapping a hand around his wrist for a few seconds. "It's not that messy, Jayden. And you actually seem to know where everything is too, from what I've seen, and that's the important thing."

With a subtle blush on his cheeks, Jayden smiled back at her mirthfully as she loosened her gentle grip and pulled back her hand to push away a lock of hair behind her ear.

It was the subsequent sound of approaching footsteps that brought the two's attention to the open door of the room, an unfamiliar girl appearing on the other side of it corridor shortly thereafter. Her round, hazel eyes looked at them intently for a second, the brows underneath her short, brown hair scrunched a little in their direction.

"Ariyoshi-san," she then firmly said, bowing her head slightly at him, the boy mimicking the gesture himself as he turned to face her. "I am Matsuri Hiiragi, Kagami's sister."

"Nice to meet you," Jayden replied, looking back at what seemed like an analytical gaze, one that was seemingly sizing him up.

"I've told you about my sister Matsuri before," Kagami was saying to him in the meantime. "She's going to a college here in Kuki-shi, now in her second year."

"And already having it even harder than you two do," the older girl spoke as she folded her arms over her casual orange shirt, glancing at Kagami with a smirk before looking at Jayden again.

"It seems like it's going to be rough wherever I go," he replied in a somewhat wistful tone. "Even high school is a lot harder here than it was back home."

"Get used to it, because if you haven't when the time for college comes…" Matsuri's voice trailed off while she shook her head, no words of encouragement or reassurance following. Instead, in a moment, she said, "I came to tell you that mom has finished preparing dinner. We can talk more there."

"Oh, that's great. I was just getting hungry," Kagami said excitedly while standing up from the chair, flashing Jayden another smile as she did.

"I am starving myself," he spoke as he beamed back at her. "Those sweets can only sate me for so long."

"You needn't worry. Mom has made sure there will be quite enough for everyone," the older Hiiragi sister added, unfolding her arms and walking away from the door a moment afterwards.

"Let's go, Jayden," Kagami then uttered, taking hold of her boyfriend's hand and squeezing it gently, looking at him reassuringly.

After the two exchanged a nod between themselves, Kagami let go of Jayden's hand and started leading the way out of the room through the corridor they had walked through a little while before. Any anxiety alleviated, he followed her eagerly, already looking forward to her mother's cooking – he had eaten ramen before, but not while being in the very heart of Japan.

The two of them passed through the hall he had caught a glimpse of earlier, with the television screen by the wall of the room turned off and the couch on the opposite side already vacant. They reached one last door that Kagami held open for Jayden until he walked through it himself, which the girl closed down behind him.

The room they were in now was fairly large, an extensive kitchen on the one end and an oddly low dining table on the other, which was now surrounded by five people. They were sitting on what seemed to be large green pillows placed on the floor, and they were all looking at Jayden. Mr. and Mrs. Hiiragi were facing him, both of them seated opposite two empty places on the other side of the table. Matsuri had taken a spot on the right with Tsukasa beside her, and there was one last, unfamiliar girl on the left, who Jayden presumed to be Kagami's other older sister.

Her expression was one of curiosity as she looked at him with sharp, bluish eyes similar to Kagami's own, her body straightened out just like everybody else's. She had short, slightly tousled hair of a darker shade of purple, and she was wearing a violet button-up shirt and gray trousers.

"Hello, Ariyoshi-san," she was the first to say anything, nodding her head in his direction. "I am Inori Hiiragi. I apologize for the late introduction."

"Oh, It's no problem. Nice to meet you," Jayden answered with a bow of his own, smiling at the new acquaintance.

"The ramen looks delicious, mom," Tsukasa said with excitement, and that's when Jayden noticed the black bowls in front of every seat in the table, all of them filled with the contents of the Japanese dish. There was plenty of fish meat, seaweed, onions and noodles inside, and all of that was accompanied with a small cup of rice for everybody.

Also, there was a pair of chopsticks right on top of each bowl…

"It smells really good too," Kagami had added in the meantime, brushing the bangs away from her face as she approached the table.

"I hope you'll like it," Mrs. Hiiragi softly said with a cheerful expression on her face, and then gestured towards the vacant pillows with her hands while looking at Jayden, saying, "Please, take a seat."

So people even had meals like that, too… Jayden's father had explained a lot of Japanese customs to him of course, but his family had never practiced them at home, really. Maybe he should've revised a little about this beforehand… Eating this way honestly looked a bit uncomfortable.

Kagami was first to sit down in the same, formal-looking position as the rest, Jayden soon following suit right on the seat beside her. Kneeling on the floor cushion, he proceeded to fold his legs underneath his thighs while he rested on his heels, adjusting his body a little from side to side until he felt comfortable enough to at least remain still. Kagami didn't seem like she had any trouble at all, though…

Jayden noticed that Mrs. Hiiragi was looking at him quizzically before she actually said something to him immediately afterwards.

"Ariyoshi-san, you can separate your knees apart," she told him warmly, smiling at him as she explained, "You are uncomfortable because that is how women usually sit."

"Oh," he only let out initially in surprise, his cheeks blushing in a subtle red color as he began readjusting again. "I am sorry, I did not know that."

"It is quite alright," Mrs. Hiiragi said in response, letting out a faint chuckle as she did, closing her eyes mirthfully afterward.

"Don't worry about this, Jayden," Kagami chimed in with a smile of her own, her head turned to the side to look at him. "I found it hard to get used to myself, actually."

Her two parents exchanged amused glances between themselves until Mr. Hiiragi's gaze landed on the guest again.

"I can relate to that, Ariyoshi-san," he spoke as he nodded in Jayden's direction, who looked at him with confusion until the man added in a second, "A teacher in my grade school used to punish students with improper behavior by making them sit that way for hours after classes, with their knees together, of course. And not on floor cushions, either. It is called seiza."

"That sounds quite… severe," Jayden said as he rubbed the back of his neck, a sense of relief washing over him for not having had to do that himself. "You had to do that yourself, Mr. Hiiragi?"

"I am afraid so," he replied, a chuckle escaping his mouth while he scratched his chin. "I do not remember what the reason was, but the punishment is hard to forget."

"I do not think I would either," Jayden spoke, shaking his head a little. "A person could get the odd extra assignment to do in my school, but it was always something pretty easy."

"I thankfully haven't heard of anybody being forced to do that in our school," Kagami said to him with a similar sense of relief in her voice.

"At least it helps teach discipline well enough," Matsuri confidently remarked, lifting her brows together knowingly.

A moment of silence followed when Mr. Hiiragi nodded in his daughter's direction somewhat thoughtfully until he proceeded to clap his hands together, the rest of the family following suit. Jayden soon did the same as quickly as he could, already wondering if that was yet another Japanese custom that he had also forgotten about.

"Let's eat!" the Hiiragi family all uttered in unison, and he found himself saying the same a couple of seconds later.

Soon, everybody eagerly started picking up their respective bowls of ramen in front of them. It was hard to blame them given the delicious smell of the dish, but all Jayden had in front of him was a pair of chopsticks, which he was still really bad at using.

"The fish tastes so good!" Tsukasa exclaimed already complimenting her mother's cooking, which brought Jayden's attention to her to see her effortlessly taking small pieces of the meat with the Japanese utensil.

"The noodles are delicious too," Inori added, the two of them making Mrs. Hiiragi give a happy, soft smile in response, more flattery coming her way from the rest of the family.

"Mom! You forgot to give Jayden a fork instead," Kagami suddenly said, who was in the middle of bringing a piece of meat to her mouth before she noticed the chopsticks in Jayden's hand and stopped.

"Oh, I am sorry," Mrs. Hiiragi spoke with an alarmed tone, quickly standing up and heading to the kitchen to grab a couple of utensils. As she approached back to the table and held out her arm to hand them to Jayden, she said, "My daughter told me to get you a fork before you got here, but I am afraid I forgot."

"Ah, it's okay. Thank you," Jayden replied, leaning forward across the table a bit to take hold of the fork, his cheeks flushing again. He looked back for a second and nodded appreciatively in Kagami's direction as well, feeling touched upon hearing that his girlfriend had even remembered that little detail.

"You cannot use chopsticks, Ariyoshi-san?" Inori asked him with an amused tone in her voice, lifting one of her brows as she looked at him.

"I have tried to learn how a few times before, but… it always ends up being difficult for me," Jayden explained, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand again. Someday he'd just have to finally get this little problem out of the way…

"I've seen him try and eat with them," Kagami said as she smiled his way with amusement. "I think it will definitely take a while for him to get the hang of them."

"It must be one of the things that are difficult for you to adapt to," Mr. Hiiragi said, loosening his hold on his own chopsticks for a little while. "If I understand correctly, though, your father is Japanese, right?"

"Yes, he is, but he had lived in America for a long time before marrying my mother," Jayden clarified while Mr. Hiiragi nodded with understanding, his wife beside him looking at the boy with interest herself. "We did not have any Japanese traditions at home, and we still don't even after moving here."

"I see," Mr. Hiiragi uttered in response, his eyes appearing more and more curious. "Your Japanese is good, though. It is not without an accent, but you have a good grasp of it. You were still taught the language at a young age?"

"Yes, that's right," Jayden confirmed. "I didn't have to speak it back home, but I guess it is of tremendous help now."

"It certainly is. And while learning how to eat with chopsticks might be also be useful when it comes to sushi, Jayden can still eat things like ramen just as well with a fork," Kagami remarked, gesturing her hand towards her parents in the meantime. "I can understand that it's difficult for him."

"You were never interested in learning how to use chopsticks before, then?" Matsuri asked Jayden curiously with her brows furrowed.

"I guess my parents were not particularly insistent that I do," Jayden spoke, soon trying out his first piece of the ramen in the form of a piece of meat, the taste of it living up to the hype.

The broth itself, along with the noodles themselves, were also particularly delicious – it was no wonder everyone else was so into the food already. It was true that it had been a while since he had eaten ramen, but this in particular was especially tasty.

"The ramen is great, Mrs. Hiiragi," Jayden said appreciatively, smiling widely in her direction while spending a moment to glance at Kagami to see her mirthful expression as well. "I really like it, and the noodles are wonderful with this sauce."

"It makes me happy to hear that, Ariyoshi-san," Mrs. Hiiragi joyfully answered. "I was not sure if you would enjoy something like this, but it looks like I have made the right choice."

"I got the feeling he'd appreciate it," Kagami said, pulling a lock of hair behind her ear as she slightly blushed while looking at him. "He likes seafood, and I know he's enjoyed a tuna tataki before, too."

"He is one of us, then," Mr. Hiiragi let out a cheerful laugh. "You probably miss the American cuisine out here, though."

"There is a lot of food I like here, but I guess I do, yes," Jayden replied in a nod after taking a taste from the cup of rice with the small spoon that was served next to it. "There are no hot dogs, for one thing. Or at least I haven't found anyone selling them here yet."

"I don't remember if I have seen any," Tsukasa gave a pensive look as she chimed in.

"The only way would probably be to make some yourself," Kagami remarked before eating more of the noodles in her bowl.

"Little things like that can probably make you homesick, but at least you have your family with you," Mr. Hiiragi spoke, a moment of silence passing while he ate some of the noodless before asking, "How long has it been since you moved to Japan?"

"About three months," Jayden answered, though it strangely felt much longer than that. So much had happened for that time, especially recently too.

"We heard that your grandmother not feeling well was a reason you came here," the older man continued while the foreigner nodding at his words in response. "How has she been?"

"Better, thankfully," Jayden said in a sigh of relief, relinquishing the bowl for a moment, feeling Kagami's eyes on him while he continued explaining the situation to Mr. and Mrs. Hiiragi. "My father being close to her is helpful enough alone, and he has been assisting her and grandfather with various chores, apart from any occasional financial aid he offers them. I honestly haven't visited them a lot, though, not as much as I thought I would…"

Between going to school, studying, hanging out with the group after classes, playing the online game with Konata, and now going out with Kagami too – whenever they could do so – Jayden hadn't had a lot of opportunities to visit his grandparents. Coming to Japan, he thought he'd make up for lost time with them, but… he hadn't devoted as much of his attention to doing so as he could've. Perhaps he should amend that…

"Your responsibilities at school must be time-consuming enough, Ariyoshi-san," Mrs. Hiiragi reminded with a sympathetic smile on her features. "I know from both Kagami and Tsukasa that being a student in Ryōō is not easy."

"Despite that, I hear you have been doing well," Inori stated, her tone making it sound like more of a question than anything else.

"It is often difficult, but I am getting by somehow," Jayden answered, turning his head to his girlfriend, who was still looking at him curiously, and added, "Kagami has been helping me a lot, though, and we do our homework together sometimes."

"There were definitely some pretty long conversations on the phone lately," the hazel-eyed Hiiragi daughter said while holding onto a spoonful of rice, glancing at Kagami for a moment as her lips pulled into a smirk. "And they were not just with Takara anymore, either."

"It was easier studying with him whenever both of us had the same assignments," Kagami said with a mirthful smile, a subtle blush on her cheeks when she turned to face Jayden. "And he's been helping me a lot with my English class too."

"We could tell from the grades you've been getting recently," Mrs. Hiiragi spoke while throwing a glance at Jayden herself.

"You were good at English from the start, Kagami," the boy told her in a serious tone. "It was just your pronunciation that you had a bit of a trouble with."

"That's still an understatement," Kagami giggled happily in response. "At first you seemed like you couldn't understand a word I was saying."

"Well, I just… hadn't really gotten used to the Japanese accent then," Jayden said while the two of them continued looking at each other. "But you have improved a lot too, and you're always catching on quickly."

"It's thanks in large part to you," she told him mirthfully, the rosy color on her face still visible.

"It is good that you two help each other," Mr. Hiiragi spoke with a smile of his own, having just eaten a piece of fish from his bowl. His eyes were looking between his daughter and her boyfriend until eventually landing on the latter. "As I understand, you are part of her and Tsukasa's circle, Ariyoshi-san. We have had the rest over before – Izumi and Takara."

"Yes, I think I started hanging out with them fairly soon after I got into the school," Jayden reaffirmed with a nod of his head while rubbing the back of his neck. "I remember worrying before if I'll be able to meet any friends here, this far away from home."

"That is understandable," Mr. Hiiragi said with a nod, his gaze thoughtful for a bit before asking curiously, "You did not click together with any of the boys in your school, though?"

"Well… not really," Jayden answered with his cheeks flushing a little. "I guess… that's the way things went."

"Don't worry, I was just asking," Mr. Hiiragi spoke reassuringly, lifting up his arm as he gave Jayden a smile. "There is nothing wrong with that."

It was true that he hadn't actually spoken a whole lot to anybody else in particular to call them a friend, but he liked being in the group he was in well enough not to be bothered by that. And, if he hadn't in the first place, maybe things wouldn't have gone the way they did with Kagami…

"Boy or girl, after Konata has pulled somebody in, it's hard to get away," Kagami spoke in a giggle she let out, the sound of it bringing Jayden back from his reverie to chuckle in response himself.

"That girl is definitely something else," Inori replied with amusement, laughing alongside them as well.

"That was my impression of her too," Matsuri added while grinning at her older sibling.

"And I… I can only be glad that Jayden was pulled in too," Kagami then smiled softly while looking at her boyfriend once more her bluish eyes lit up with affection. He could only return the gesture in response and look back at her, briefly forgetting about the noodles tied around his fork.

"Well, it was perhaps for the best," Mr. Hiiragi said earnestly after the moment of silence that had fallen, turning both of their attention to him. Putting down what seemed to be an already empty bowl of ramen, his gaze looked at Jayden's own. "Maybe you would have met in class on your own, but regardless… I can see that my daughter is happy being with you, Ariyoshi-san. I hope you are serious about what you have with her, because I can tell she very much is."

Though his words were firm, Mr. Hiiragi's features softened while he said them.

"I am, Mr. Hiiragi," Jayden told him soon with a serious nod of his head, which he turned to face Kagami again, returning the smile she still had on her face. "I am grateful to be with your daughter… and I hope that I can be worthy of her."

"She has decided you are herself," Mrs. Hiiragi chimed in warmly as she glanced at Kagami with motherly affection in her eyes.

"Yes, she has," Mr. Hiiragi spoke in agreement, proceeding to exchange a brief look with his wife as he added, "And it is not something we have a problem with."

"Thank you," Jayden replied appreciatively in a joyful voice, his lips pulling into an even wider smile while his eyes lit up in mirth.

Her parents were really, truly accepting of him and Kagami being together…

A small part of him had always feared that perhaps they would not think of him as somebody deserving to be with her, or would forbid her from dating him…

But now, he could feel that lingering fear slowly vanish in response to their words, to hearing them actually say that they were okay with it. Turning his head back to his girlfriend sitting beside him, he saw her beaming at her parents herself, her lips even slightly parted in the smile she had on her face.

"Thank you so much… mom, dad," she only managed to say at that moment.

"No need for that, dear," Mrs. Hiiragi replied, closing her eyes mirthfully as she let out a chuckle. "You know we are both very happy for you two."

"I've always thought Sis and Jayden-san would be good together," Tsukasa said as she looked at her two classmates.

"I didn't think something like this was likely to work out this early in life… but I'm hoping what you two have does," Matsuri added herself, nodding their way before looking solely at Jayden, wearing a serious countenance. "And that you continue to treat my sister well, Ariyoshi-san."

"I will do my best," he replied while glancing at Kagami again, reaching out his hand invitingly in her direction as he did. Her eyes briefly looked at it in surprise before she returned his gaze, holding out her own hand and catching his, gently squeezing it.

"I will too," she then said to him with joy etched on her face and voice, her eye contact with him persisting for the moment their hands were intertwined.

"Have a little faith for once, Matsuri," Inori spoke with a slight shake of her head. Along with the rest, she was smiling mirthfully at the young couple and the moment between them.

It was not long afterward when those who hadn't finished with their meals continued eating, Jayden included, who had completely relaxed in the presence of the whole Hiiragi family around him. He couldn't be thankful enough for their acceptance, and for Kagami's decision to invite and introduce him in the first place. Still excited, his mind was already starting to think of having a guest in his own house soon too…

As the conversations went on, he found himself exchanging glances with Kagami even more frequently than before, the smiles on their faces never quite faltering. The rain that used to be heard through the nearby window had stopped somewhere in the middle of it all, but nobody had noticed that it did.

* * *

About an hour later, Kagami stood outside the gate of her house, the moist air around her a little bit cold as she folded her arms warmly over her chest. The sky above had cleared up after the rain, however, and she could even make out a few stars brightly shining in the otherwise dark night.

With her was Jayden, who had put on his black jacket again and held the closed umbrella in his hand, which she had returned to him before he took his leave and said goodbye to the rest of her family. Now, she was smiling at him softly, her features showing the happiness she felt, illuminated by the light coming from the lamp next to the open gate. Jayden's own expression was one of mirth as he looked back, still standing right next to her, his arm within her reach. There was never quite a moment between them the two of them alone after the beginning of dinner, with her parents seeing Jayden off at the door of their house just a minute ago.

Kagami felt another blush appear on her face as her eyes gazed into Jayden's own. It was fairly late into the night, and he had actually spent a lot of time in her presence… but she still didn't want him to go.

"As you can see, my parents like to, uh… ask questions," Kagami told her boyfriend, feeling another blush appear on her cheeks as she aimlessly moved the heel of her foot on the pavement.

"Oh, nothing wrong with that," Jayden replied, grinning her way with his own cheeks flushed. Tilting his head in her direction, he added, "When we first met in school, you were pretty inquisitive yourself."

"I guess I can't help but take after them," she answered with amusement in her voice, brushing the bangs away from her eyes. "I realize you were put on the spot for a while there. I hope you weren't uncomfortable, Jayden."

"No, I was not," he spoke reassuringly, his expression now serious as he gave her a nod. "I had a great time at dinner, and I'm grateful that I got to meet your parents. They're very nice people, and they were really hospitable and kind to me."

"I'm glad that you think so," Kagami retorted, her eyes lighting up at his answer. "I could tell you were enjoying yourself, especially when they laid off a little… and it made me happy seeing it."

"I was. And, you know, it was only natural that they'd ask me things. I am your boyfriend, after all," Jayden smiled softly at her, his green eyes still looking deeply into hers. "It's relieving for me that way, now that they have a better idea of who I am, and still accept me."

"I didn't doubt that they would, Jayden," Kagami replied while taking a small step towards him.

"I enjoyed the meal, too. Your mother really knows how to cook," Jayden said in a chuckle, placing the closed umbrella sideways on the back of his shoulders. "That ramen was quite tasty."

"She does, doesn't she?" Kagami nodded her head, her lips still pulled into a smile. "Matsuri and Inori are also pretty good at it and make delicious ramen, and Tsukasa has started helping them often. I'm… well, I haven't been really successful with cooking myself."

Her blush slightly intensified as she turned her head sideways, looking at the poorly lit street while moving her foot around on the ground again.

"You and me both," Jayden replied as he let out a cheerful laugh again. "Everybody has their strengths, but… cooking definitely isn't mine."

"You're a guy, though," Kagami pointed out, looking at him out of the corner of her eyes. "You don't have to be a good cook, but… I should be."

"You don't have to be anything," Jayden spoke after a moment of looking slightly confused until he softly smiled at her again. "Some people are good at it and enjoy it, but others don't. It's perfectly fine if you aren't among them."

"But there are certain expectations of people regardless," Kagami retorted, looking at him a little confusedly as she added, "Again, don't forget that I'm a girl."

"I'm not, Kagami," Jayden replied while shaking his head determinedly, putting down the closed umbrella back from resting it on his shoulders. "I don't expect anyone to be a good cook, guy or girl. And to me, it doesn't matter if you aren't."

"It… doesn't?" Kagami slowly repeated with a dumbfounded expression she sent his way. "Even if… I'm your girlfriend?"

"No. Don't worry about it, Kagami. Something like this isn't important to me."

His eyes bore signs of the conviction in his words as she looked at them with her own, her mouth slightly parted in surprise from hearing what he said to her. Her gaze didn't move away from his for a while her mind processed the exchange between them…

He truly meant that, didn't he? He wasn't lying… she knew him well enough to tell that he was genuinely speaking his mind to her.

She had never intended on hiding her lack of culinary expertise from him, and while she didn't think it would be a fatal enough flaw for Jayden, she still didn't expect this…

No, not the certainy with which he just said that it didn't matter to him one way or the other, his total acceptance of that fact, of that problem... and she didn't expect the pleasant, comforting smile he was now giving her as a response to the revelation.

Her ears picked on the pleasant sound of his chuckle which brought her out of her reverie, during which her eyes had continuously stared into his.

"And who knows, if neither of us can really cook something difficult on our own, with joined forces we might be able to surprise people," he said to her in an amused tone with his cheeks blushing, his bright green eyes looking at her own, somehow shining charmingly in the dark as they did. "Or it could end up being a catastrophe."

The two of them laughed joyfully immediately afterwards, with Kagami lifting her hand up close to her mouth as she did, looking at Jayden with a similar color of red on her face.

"We could experiment, but… it's probably going to be the latter," she said to him as she giggled again while regarding Jayden with warmth.

As both softly beamed at one another after both stopped laughing, Kagami brought her face closer to his, closing her eyes in her approach as she did after seeing him do the same, and soon enough their lips were caught in an embrace.

The comforting warmth she had felt from his words before was joined by another, this time coming from his mouth tenderly touching hers. His arm wrapped around her waist as they kissed, holding her close to him while she moved hers around his neck, butterflies flying in her stomach at the pleasant, delicate contact with Jayden she had found herself missing strongly. While pouring herself into the kiss, not wanting to let go just yet, a couple of her fingers interlocked themselves with a few strands of his hair at the back of his head, so light and soft to the touch.

Their lips soon parting, she opened her eyes to look into his as she pulled back her hands to his shoulders, losing herself in the depth of her boyfriend's gaze for a moment. She leaned in one more time to leave a soft, quick peck on his mouth before fully pulling back, though still close enough to feel his breath on her rosy-colored cheeks.

"You didn't happen to finish your studies for the week, did you?" she then asked him as she smiled, pulling a lock of hair behind her ear.

"I did, actually," he replied with a mirthful nod of his head. "There's always practice for midterms, but… we promised Tsukasa we won't bring them up tonight. I say we extend that to tomorrow, too."

"I agree with that plan," Kagami answered enthusiastically, letting out a soft giggle in the process. "We could go to the park again, if you want… and hunt for a hot dog stand."

"I don't know about setting that as a priority, but it couldn't hurt to keep our eyes open," Jayden spoke while pleasantly chuckling at her words himself, his eyes mirthful. In a few seconds, however, his expression momentarily turned serious as he inquired, "Would it be okay if we meet up a little later this time, though? I'd like to visit my grandparents in the morning, and it would take me a little more time to get to the park from there."

"Oh, yes, of course," Kagami replied with understanding, remembering the issue being brought up at dinner and the regretful countenance Jayden had briefly had on his face. "It would be good for you to see them. If you want more time than just the morning with them, we could always go out another time."

"No, I'd still like to see you tomorrow," Jayden retorted as he shook his head, smiling in Kagami's direction again.

"Okay," she soon beamed back at him with a nod of her head. Proceeding to look at the sky above, she said, "Well, then it won't be long before we meet up again, considering I'm thinking of turning in for the night soon."

"I will probably do so too a bit after I get back home," he answered, throwing his wristwatch a brief glance as he did. "I'll call you tomorrow then, Kagami."

"Alright, Jayden," she replied mirthfully, tilting her head in his direction as she added, "I'll be seeing you soon."

"Until then," Jayden uttered, looking at her for one more brief moment with a smile on his face before he slowly started walking away from her, turning around in the direction of the subway station.

Kagami held her hand on the gate as she watched the boy's figure leave, who at a point glanced back at her, the simple gesture making her cheeks subtly flush again and her fingers idly play with the handle.

Even during her return to the house, the smile on her face persisted as she looked down thoughtfully.

Her mind was recollecting the moments with Jayden that had happened just now, while her heart was excited for the ones that would happen tomorrow.

A trip to the park by the river with him again… it had always been a favorite place in Kuki-shi for her, but ever since she got together with Jayden, she had been going there more and more. It had somehow become their private spot to relax together at. And now, with her family and Jayden acquainted, she could also invite him in if he were to walk her home, even if only for a little while…

After Kagami got back into the house, she was greeted with the sight of her mother passing by the door to the hall, the TV seemingly turned on again, judging by the sound that came from the room. The older woman stopped as soon as her gaze met her daughter's and smiled at her.

"You're very lucky, dear," she joyfully spoke as she crossed her arms in front of her. "It's obvious that you and your boyfriend care a great deal about each other."

"You know Jayden is very important to me, mom," Kagami replied, smiling softly back at her mother, walking up to her. "What you and dad said at dinner… it means a lot to me and him."

"Seeing you happy together like you were, there was no reason for either of us to interfere and prevent you from seeing one another. And it wouldn't have been respectful of your decision if we did," Miki replied while nodding her head at Kagami, closing her eyes in mirth as she added, "Besides, Ariyoshi-san struck me as a very nice person."

"You did like him, didn't you?" Kagami asked her mother with a hopeful tone in her voice as she beamed at her.

"I did," she answered confidently. "I have not had the pleasure of meeting many foreigners before, but Ariyoshi-san was very friendly and honest. He's clearly a responsible student, too."

"Yes… he is," Kagami replied while she ran a hand through a loose pigtail of her hair, looking away from Miki for a bit before meeting her gaze once more. "He told me he enjoyed dinner, and he thought you were a great cook."

"That is very kind of him," Miki spoke, proceeding to narrow her eyes affectionately at her daughter. "As I said to both of you before he left, he's always welcome here to join us for a meal again whenever he wants to."

A lapse of comfortable silence followed with the two Hiiragi women simply looking at each other until Kagami eventually shortened the distance between them and embraced her mother, happily closing her eyes as she did.

It was just what she felt like doing, for she couldn't help but still feel immense gratitude for the way things went tonight… for her parents' understanding, for Tsukasa's support, for her family's acceptance…

And most importantly, for having somebody to take this important step with… for being with Jayden.

"Thank you, mom… for everything," she merely said to her, her lips pulled into a smile as she kept on hugging the slightly taller Miki.

"You thank too much, dear," the elder woman answered, a joyful chuckle escaping her mouth.

The two stood quietly like that for a bit before Kagami pulled away while giving a short, contended sigh.

"I'll go clean up the dishes," Miki told her, pointing her finger at the hall next to them. "I think Tsukasa is watching a movie in the other room."

"I'll join her before I head back to my room, then," Kagami decided, flashing Miki another smile before the two turned to go through the nearby door.

Right now, it was just Tsukasa that she wanted to see.

* * *

Mere minutes afterward, with Kagami having sat down on the couch next to Tsukasa, the two eagerly had a brief exchange over how things had gone, the movie running on the television screen momentarily forgotten.

It was not difficult for Tsukasa to notice her sister's joy from the night's outcome as she shared in it herself, having been nervous about Jayden's visit beforehand as well. Things like that could sometimes go wrong, what happened with Konata being a testament to that… but it was hugely relieving seeing the opposite happen with her own eyes.

"You will meet up with Jayden-san tomorrow, Sis?" Tsukasa curiously asked her twin.

"Yeah, we'll be going to the park again," Kagami informed happily, brushing the bangs away from her eyes which looked at Tsukasa. "We''ll probably meet there a bit later in the afternoon, though, so I'll most likely be free before that."

"Oh," the younger twin let out, scratching her cheek as she nervously said, "Well… I know I said not to talk about midterms, but seeing the amount of material I had to revise for physics, I actually decided to cover some of it tomorrow."

"I'm a bit behind there myself," Kagami spoke in a reassuring tone after a moment of thought. Gesturing her hand at her sister, she offered, "I could join you, if you want."

"That was what I wanted to suggest," Tsukasa replied as she smiled, adjusting her seating position on the couch a little.

"Then we'll hold a study session," Kagami nodded her way in response mirthfully. "If we have time, we can also check out what they have at the shrine. It's been a while since we've browsed thoroughly together."

"Oh, I would love to, Sis," Tsukasa's voice was eager. "I hope I'll finally find a maneki-neko somewhere to buy for good luck. It'd be a cute thing to have, too."

"What were the power stones you got us for, then?" Kagami asked in an amused tone.

"They—they are against bad luck," Tsukasa corrected, sounding a little flustered. "It's a different thing altogether."

"If you say so," Kagami let out a giggle, turning her head to face the TV screen, appearing thoughtful for a brief moment. When she looked back at her twin, she gave her a soft smile as she said, "Then we'll look for a maneki-neko too. After all… a person could say that the good luck charms you've already bought, are actually working."

Tsukasa returned the smile given by her sister in response as she chuckled with mirth, the two of them soon devoting more of their attention to the ongoing movie. Watching the rest of it with Kagami before going to sleep was a good way to close the rather eventful week in preparation for a long-awaited Sunday.


	19. 3rd of July, 2013

**Someone Else**

**Chapter 19: 3****rd**** of July, 2013**

As yet another break between classes began, Mr. Kobayashi quickly departed the room with an exasperated look on his face after the long English lesson. Chatter among the high school students of Ryōō soon followed from all directions, but Konata's attention was still on the book on her desk as the girl tried to maintain it. She had managed to start reading it during the lesson just before, the fact that it was hidden underneath her notes going by completely unnoticed by the unsuspecting teacher.

Her eyes grew weary as she read line after line, no picture material of any kind to support any of them, with images appearing only every so often. Why was that so...

The potential was completely passed up on in what would have otherwise made an interesting manga or anime, full of life from either the vivid illustrations or animation.

For that reason, when Miyuki and Tsukasa showed up at her desk, for once, Konata was able to notice both before either of them said anything. If her senses weren't completely focused on the reading material in her hands, then that was proof that it wasn't good enough.

"Kona-chan, you look sleepy," Tsukasa commented with a concerned look on her face.

"Blame this light novel that Kagami recommended me," Konata complained, pointing towards the book that she now closed and put down on the desk.

Leaning back on her chair while folding her arms, her eyes picked on a certain movement of Jayden going by her desk towards the door while nodding her way with a smile.

"Come on," she sighed, proceeding to give the boy a teasing grin. "Can't wait even a minute or two for your girlfriend to come here?"

"I'm the student on duty today, Konata," he reminded her, though not without a subtle blush appearing on his cheeks. "I have to bring the map for today's geography lesson."

"And let me guess – Kagami's class had geography last, right?" Konata said with an amused expression on her face.

"I think Sis had a math lesson now," Tsukasa told her friend while putting a finger on her chin in thought.

"No, she has history with Ms. Kuroi," Jayden corrected as he nodded their way confidently. "Anyway, I'll be back in a bit," he then told them after he disappeared through the door.

Konata shook her head in disappointment as she closed her eyes, a sigh escaping her mouth right afterwards.

"If he simply stayed around here like me, he won't be picked for duty again," she said, as if to herself while Miyuki and Tsukasa looked at her with confused faces.

"I—I would not want to get reprimanded myself," Miyuki spoke nervously while exchanging a nod with Tsukasa beside her.

"Ms. Kuroi will not be happy with anyone who does that," the other girl replied as she moved her head from side to side, her voice sounding a little frightened.

"Not unless they supply her with items and gold in a certain online game," Konata clarified with a smirk, rubbing her chin as she looked away from her two friends standing in front of her.

"Then… it looks like I'll have to continue with my duties whenever I'm picked," Tsukasa replied as she rubbed the back of her neck.

"Ms. Kuroi is quite… easily persuaded," Miyuki added while giving Konata an anxious smile similar to Tsukasa's own.

A greeting sent their way turned the girls' attention to the approaching Kagami, who had just entered their room, getting a reply in kind from all of them.

"Jayden's probably on duty somewhere, right?" she inquired while she headed their way, her eyes having momentarily locked themselves onto his empty seat.

"Yes, he went to get the materials for geography, Sis," her twin explained to her, who nodded with understanding in response.

With a smile on her face, Kagami then walked up to their own desk, now standing between her sister and Miyuki, who had their arms crossed in front of them. Her hand was casually resting on her waist while her curious eyes immediately saw the book in front of Konata.

"Ah, I see that you finally gave this a try, Konata," she observed while nodding her head towards the light novel. "How are you enjoying it so far?"

"I told you it wouldn't work, Kagamin," the blue-haired student replied, stretching out her hands to grab the end of the desk wearily. "One picture every twenty or so pages is just not enough to compensate for these walls of text. How can you stand reading that?"

"Seriously," Kagami merely spoke in response as she let out a rueful sigh, putting her other hand on her waist as she frowned at her friend. "If you can't read this, then what hope do you have for real books?"

"This is just taking too long," Konata growled, idly playing with her pen that had remained largely unused during the English lesson just before. "When a story isn't a manga, I have to sit through a ton of descriptions instead of just seeing what's going on in the images."

"You make it sound like you're reading a medical journal or something," the other girl replied as she shook her head disapprovingly.

"The writing in light novels is fairly simple," Miyuki chimed in, bringing everyone's attention to her for a moment as she gave a further explanation. "The style authors use makes use of very short paragraphs and the stories are usually driven by dialogue, though the frequent use of furigana characters allows for more complexity as well."

"Yes, exactly," Kagami nodded her classmate's way before looking back at Konata with her brows furrowed a bit, saying to her, "It's like reading a manga, really."

"And the chapters of light novels are usually serialized in magazines too, right?" Tsukasa asked her sister, who gave her an affirmative hum.

"Then why can't I still see the anime instead of reading this?" Konata moaned, picking the book up as she regarded it with a confrontational look in her eyes.

"This is the original work," Kagami said, a smirk forming on her lips while she pushed some of her bangs away from her face. "Usually, you'd say that each of them have their own merits and check both out."

The only thing Konata could do in response for the moment was frown to herself, suddenly regretting what she had said earlier, having forgotten to clarify that she meant anime and manga only.

"The light novel gives more room for detail too," Kagami also pointed out, gesturing her hand in Konata's direction. "Anime are usually more rushed. And in this, I hear that the whole plot with Konoha is dropped, and you don't get to read her thoughts like you can here and see the motivation behind her actions."

"If you're perceptive enough, Kagamin, you can pick up on that just as well from a character's motion in anime," Konata spoke knowingly, moving her index finger from side to side. "That's why people like me catch up on these things."

"Well, well, aren't we suddenly full of awareness," her friend replied as she folded her arms while giving her a teasing grin.

"For one, at least _I_ can see that your boyfriend got back into the classroom," Konata remarked, her eyes shutting closed once more, already hearing the sound of Kagami turning around, finally noticing that Jayden had walked through the door while carrying a rolled map under his shoulder.

"I don't have eyes on my back, you know," the pigtail-haired girl fought back as she glanced backwards at Konata, already on her way to Jayden's side. Her features softened as she looked at him, smiling as she grabbed hold of her end of the map. "Let me help you with this, Jayden."

"Thanks, Kagami," he replied as he returned the girl's smile, the two of them now unfolding the huge paper map in front of the black board, revealing the whole area of Japan for the class to see.

"From the looks of things, we will continue studying about the natural resources from our last class," Miyuki said, her purple eyes locked onto the map already, which was being placed on each hook at both edges of the black board. Tsukasa turned her head to the map herself, her expression curious.

"Well, isn't that interesting," Konata instead commented with apparent indifference, picking up the book on her desk again. "I might actually get to read some more of this light novel after all."

"I didn't have that in mind when I lent it to you," Kagami said as she tilted her head in her friend's direction, going back to her desk along with Jayden next to her. "Besides, I wouldn't want the teacher to confiscate it."

"Who do you think you're talking to, Kagamin?" Konata spoke with an almost offended tone in her voice. "Nobody's going to confiscate anything."

"I'm amazed you managed to read that with Mr. Kobayashi right in front of you," Tsukasa said to Konata with admiration, receiving a complacent grin from her.

"This is a light novel you gave her?" Jayden asked Kagami curiously, pointing at the book while keeping his other hand in his pocket.

"Yeah, it's an old mahou shoujo that I figured she'd like," she explained, turning her head to face her boyfriend, leaning on the desk in front of her as she did. "But she's complaining that it's not in manga form, so she has trouble reading it."

"Sounds like you're stepping out of your comfort zone here," Jayden momentarily turned to Konata while wearing an amused expression before looking at Kagami again, saying to her, "I don't really know much about light novels. I've seen them sold in shops here in Japan, but there weren't any around back home."

"You could honestly try one, Jayden," Kagami suggested, shifting her body a little to face him better. "I've read a few myself, and they can be really enjoyable and usually have good stories."

"Stop trying to convert people from manga," Konata blurted out, getting an irritated look through furrowed brows from her friend in return.

"What she means is that a plot can be just as good in text, Konata," Jayden seriously spoke with a nod of his head while sharing a glance with Kagami. "Nobody's discounting manga."

"Fine, I'll still try giving this a shot," Konata conceded with an irritated sigh as she opened up the light novel back to the point she had reached before.

"You—you plan on continuing even with Mrs. Yukari here?" Tsukasa's voice was once again nervous in her question to Konata, to which she only hummed affirmatively, her friend apparently not having much faith in her keen discretion.

"There's still a lot of time until the next release of _Master of the_ _Dungeon_," Jayden then said to no one in particular, his eyes looking through the window of the classroom, which gave everyone a glimpse of the bright sunny weather outside. "And I'm not really following anything else right now, but I hadn't considered light novels before."

"If you want, we can check out the manga store on our way back to your house," Kagami suggested while she pulled a pigtail of her hair behind her back and leaned against the desk in front again. Konata lifted her brows inquisitively at her friend's words in the meantime. "We might both find something we'd like."

"Sounds good, I'd like that," Jayden nodded as the two shared a smile between themselves, one's gaze lingering on the other for a little while afterward.

"You're going to Jayden's house, Kagami?" Konata soon inquired curiously, her eyes shifting from the two of them.

"Yeah. He invited me over and I thought I'd go there straight from school," Kagami explained to her, her eyes mirthful as she glanced at him.

"Doesn't this explain why you called me so much late yesterday?" Konata asked Kagami in an amused voice after the look she and Jayden had just shared. "Been doing homework until then?"

"There was a lot to get out of the way," her friend retorted while running a hand through her pigtail, a blush appearing on her cheeks in the meantime. "I may have spent some time on it for today, yes."

"I figured," Konata said with her lips pulled into a satisfied smirk.

"I did too, though I'm a bit further behind," Jayden chimed in while rubbing the back of his neck. "By my schedule I should have enough time to concentrate more for the rest of the week."

"Sis and I held a study session at home yesterday as well," Tsukasa added happily, her tone filled with relief. "I have caught up a little with my studies, though I left my most difficult subjects for last."

"I have the tendency to do that myself, even if I tell myself that the other way around is easier," Miyuki spoke while readjusting the frames of her glasses.

"I think it's better to focus on what you find easiest first," Kagami said, holding out her hand in Miyuki's direction as she elaborated, "If you spend too much time on a difficult subject and end up not learning as much as you could, you won't have a lot more to revise the ones you're actually better at."

"In—In that case, I'm good," Tsukasa beamed at her sister with her eyes shut closed.

"Well, I have math saved for last, so…" Jayden said, letting out a chuckle while looking at a joyful Kagami.

"You guys know that break time is when we don't have to talk about school and homework for a change?" Konata suddenly intoned, giving the people around her a blank stare.

"To be fair… you kind of brought it up, didn't you?" Kagami narrowed her eyes at her friend, who slightly shrugged her shoulders in response.

The shrug coincided with Mrs. Yukari's arrival into the classroom, which prompted most of the students to take their places by their desks. On the other hand, Konata was already in the middle of setting up her desk so that she could continue reading the light novel at her own leisure.

"I'll see you at lunch, Jayden," she could hear Kagami's voice say, lifting up her gaze just in time to see her briefly hold hands with her boyfriend who nodded back at her with a smile.

With that exchange, the two went in opposite directions, leaving Konata alone at her desk, whose eyes were already on the line she had gotten to in the story.

* * *

A little while after school, the group found themselves inside the manga shop in the center of Kasukabe, each browsing through their own respective sections of interest. Going through the many manga stacks in the store, Konata struggled in her search for literally anything she didn't already know was being sold there. Miyuki and Tsukasa, on the other hand, were busy looking at cute figurines by the cash register, ones of characters they didn't even recognize. The two of them were separated from the rest of their classmates by the many groups of people that were also inside, chatter filling the store.

In the meantime, Jayden's eyes instead scanned the stall that was full of various light novels, their covers not unlike those of the manga he had occasionally checked out here before. Judging by the sheer amount of titles sold, this looked like it was going to take him some time to decide. He hadn't paid much attention to this part of the shop before, after all.

Beside him was Kagami, her hand holding onto the strap of her satchel as her own gaze curiously moved along the many rows in front of her, holding a finger on her chin while she did.

"It looks like they restocked recently," she informed him, the two sharing a momental glance. "I haven't seen a lot of these when I last browsed through here."

"I recognize some from anime I've seen advertised," Jayden spoke as he saw some familiar titles, though not ones that would appeal to him.

"I bet you've at seen at least one that's a direct animation of a light novel," Kagami replied, readjusting the strap of her satchel while the two walked forward a little. Looking at him, she suggested, "If we don't see anything that interests you, I could lent you one that I've already read. I'll just need to recheck what I have to see if there's anything that you might like."

"There's so many of these here, though," Jayden remarked, running a hand through his hair, feeling overwhelmed by the quantities he was seeing. While picking up a book randomly, he muttered to himself, "There's bound to be something…"

After briefly scrutinizing the cover with a guy and girl holding swords and, naturally, looking as badass as possible while swinging them against nothing in particular, he turned it over to check out the synopsis.

"Trapped in a virtual reality game…" he read a line of it aloud, his voice sounding sceptical.

Glancing at Kagami standing beside him, he saw her checking out a light novel herself before putting it back on the stack she had taken it from with a sigh.

"They aren't separated into genres," she complained to him while brushing away the bangs that had fallen across her eyes during her inspection of the light novel. "It would be easier to browse here if they simply categorized them. For example, I know that you like fantasy and mystery, so we would be checking out those."

"For once, we can't ask for Konata's expertise," Jayden said with a chuckle, glancing backward to see if he could find where the blue-haired girl was. She was nowhere to be seen, though he noticed Miyuki and Tsukasa currently inspecting a figurine in the opposite corner.

"At least you have my own," Kagami told him with a soft smile on her face, tilting her head in his direction. "Though unlike her, I haven't read the whole stall."

"It would definitely take pretty long if you decide to," he spoke amusedly while nodding to himself, looking from one end of the light novel section to the other, registering its size once more.

Returning the book he had grabbed hold of, he followed Kagami a little further along, walking alongside her at all times as he carefully checked out the covers. It wasn't long before his attention was caught by a humming noise of intrigue his girlfriend let out, noticing that she was holding something new already.

"Here, Jayden. Check this out," she said while glancing at him for a moment, prompting him to walk up closer to her to read the synopsis himself. "It's an older one, but I understand it's pretty popular."

"I think I've heard of it before actually, yeah," Jayden replied while looking at the book with apparent interest right beside her.

This did seem more promising than anything else either of them had seen, that much was certain.

"Fullmetal Alchemist, huh? Equivalent trade…"

"I haven't read it myself, so I can't say anything," Kagami informed him as she opened it up on the first page from back to front, something Jayden still had trouble getting accustomed to even with all the manga volumes he had read. "Do you think you might like it?"

"It does sound interesting," he could only say initially as he nodded, now looking at the first few pages as Kagami slowly turned them over, all of them filled out by a set of large images, until they arrived at _Chapter 1_. "It has a neat concept, it reminds me a little of the spellcasting in _Master of the Dungeon_ in the way that alchemy is used here."

"That's a good thing, then," Kagami smiled at him happily, further holding it out for him. "Though I suggest we look to the end of the stall and take our time to see which would appeal to you the most."

As they moved further along, more and more titles seemed to catch Jayden's eye as he briefly looked them over, all of which he found interesting enough to buy at a later stage. In the meantime, Kagami's search for something for her own continued as well, soon finding an intriguing slice of life novel with Jayden's help.

"It looks like you've settled on Fullmetal Alchemist," she observed as she nodded his way after they finished looking through the stall. Pointing at her own book, she told him with a smile, "If I find this interesting, I could lent it to you after I've finished it as well."

"Same here," Jayden answered as he beamed back at her mirthfully. "Thanks, Kagami. Looks like I have some new reading material."

"Don't mention it, Jayden. I hope you'll like it," she replied with a subtle blush on her cheeks, her hand momentarily playing with a strand or two of a loose pigtail.

A second or two afterwards, Kagami's lips suddenly parted as she let out a quiet gasp, the smile reappearing on her face after what seemed like a moment of recollection.

"Come for just a second," she told him, leading him back to where they had gotten his light novel from.

Curiously following her with his eyebrows lifted, he watched as Kagami grabbed one of the volumes from the very bottom of the stack, handing it to him with her smile still on her face.

"A little something I've learned from Konata," she indulged his confused expression while he took the volume from her, giving back the old one in the process. "Everybody's touched the one on top, after all, so you're getting it as clean and new as possible."

"Ah, I haven't thought of that," Jayden responded, chuckling as he looked over the book she had given him, perfectly unblemished as opposed to the one he held before. "I'm not that picky, but I'd still rather have this instead."

"Yeah, she does have a point," Kagami nodded affirmatively, her eyes momentarily glancing at something behind him as she simply uttered, "Oh, speak of the devil."

Immediately turning around, Jayden was met with the sight of Konata carrying three manga volumes under her arm, her gaze blank as she briefly stared at the light novel he was holding.

"There are a couple of anime of this already," she suddenly said with a hint of exasperation, her eyes throwing Kagami a knowing glance while she added, "Not to mention the manga, which is the original work, by the way, Kagamin."

"I didn't know that," her friend sincerely replied with a slight shake of her head, proceeding to fold her arms while holding onto the book she had gotten. "Still, he wanted to see what a light novel was like. Might as well read something that seems interesting to him."

"I don't mind which one's the original anyway," Jayden spoke while looking between his two classmates.

"At least you picked something good, but see the anime or read the manga instead," Konata intoned, steadying the books she was carrying with her other hand as she did, now facing Kagami, smirking at her. "And I see Kagamin has picked yet another romance novel."

"I—I don't know if it is," her friend replied with her cheeks flushing a little, unfolding her arms as she brought the book closer to her to read the synopsis better. "It says it's just a slice of life story about a girl who's trying to find work in Japan after graduating college to help provide for her family."

"And a certain job interviewer comes along, right?" Konata snickered with an entertained expression.

"Not every plot is that predictable," Kagami furrowed her eyes at Konata irritably in response, momentarily glancing at Jayden as she did, who had raised his brows curiously.

"While it's probably a tendency, I don't think that much slice of life stories have romance," he said while looking from one girl to the other again, eventually landing on Konata's manga volumes. "And it seems like you found something you haven't seen before, after all."

"I searched far and wide among familiarity, but my fears were alleviated when I was referred to these gems," she replied dramatically, showing off the manga to him and Kagami, magical girls on each of the covers.

"As expected," Kagami grinned herself upon seeing them, sharing an amused glance with Jayden as she did, putting a hand on her waist.

"It was as if a flag was triggered. The store owner seemed to know exactly what my collection was missing," Konata added cheerfully, her face falling in an instant afterward as she gave the two a blank stare, asking, "You guys think I have a stalker?"

"I doubt that, Konata," Kagami replied after a moment, letting out a soft giggle upon hearing Konata's assumption. "Don't blurt out things like that."

"I think he just knows his clients... exceedingly well," Jayden spoke while rubbing the back of his neck as he chuckled. "Last time _Master of the Dungeon_ had a volume released, he had one ready here, saying it was just for me."

"You're probably right," Konata shrugged her shoulders indifferently, starting to walk towards the cash register. "I'm sure my father would have known if I had a stalker anyway."

The couple behind her wore confused expressions on their faces as they followed her, glancing at each other with lifted brows for a moment. Their bewilderment was forgotten as the three of them met up with Miyuki and Tsukasa on their way, both of them standing right next to a small queue that had formed. The younger Hiiragi twin was holding a little figurine in her hands, one of a dancing girl wearing a maid's outfit.

"Look what I bought, Sis!" she exclaimed happily, closing her eyes as she held it out for Kagami to see. "Isn't it cute?"

"I guess," Kagami replied, her one brow lifted as she smiled at her sister. "Careful your room doesn't become like Konata's, though."

"Hey, that hurt, Kagamin," Konata moaned in a pained tone while all of them took their respective places on the queue, with her leading the group. "Good choice, Tsukasa. I have a couple of Yui at home already, both in cheerleading outfits."

"I think I'll place it on my desk," Tsukasa spoke excitedly while she continued regarding the small figurine.

"You can use it as a paper-weight," Miyuki suggested while smiling meekly at her classmate, the two standing beside the others as they patiently waited for them.

"You weren't tempted by the figurines too, Miyuki?" Kagami asked the pink-haired girl, nodding her head towards the vast selection just next to her.

"I guess not, Kagami-san," Miyuki replied while lightly scratching her cheek with her finger.

"What about you, Jayden?" Kagami turned her head to look at her boyfriend right by her side, a smile on her face as she did. Following her gaze to the figurines, Jayden remained silent for a bit before he answered.

"If somebody from _Master of the Dungeon_ was among these, I would probably at least consider it," Jayden said while looking at the rich collection of figures by the cash register, none of which particularly appealed to him. Making eye contact with her again, he returned her smile as he told her, "But if you think my desk needs some more decoration, I'm open to suggestions."

"I'll have to see its current state first to decide that," Kagami answered him with mirth as she slightly tilted her head backward while looking at him.

"You'll get that opportunity today," Jayden spoke with a nod of his head, lifting up the book he was carrying as he added, "For now though, this will do."

Immediately after the couple's exchange, Konata in front of them finished paying for her manga, and it was Kagami's turn to follow suit herself with her own purchase.

As he waited next in the queue, Jayden sighed contentedly, his lips once again pulling into a smile as he looked at Kagami while she waited for her change.

He was excited about her coming to his house again – it had been a while since she had, doing so back during their last English study session, before the two of them had started going out.

Revealing that Kagami had become his girlfriend was met almost without a shred of surprise by neither his mother nor father. Hearing that, he initially suspected that his sister had told on him, but they simply said that they had always thought it was only a matter of time before the two of them got together, given how much Jayden talked about her. On top of that, both had assured him that they were happy that they did, not failing to mention that it would always be a pleasure to have Kagami over.

That gesture alone had relaxed Jayden immeasurably, and the fact that Kagami had met them before apparently eased her up too for that matter. Even if she was obviously still a little anxious in that regard, it was her own excitement that showed through most on her features, and it made him happy to see it. And now, it seemed like it was sprung again with the help of their exchange about the figurines, for she stood at the cash register with the smile still on her face that she eventually directed at him once more.

After receiving her change, she walked forward to the nearby door to the manga store that Konata was currently waiting at, already checking out one of the three manga volumes she had gotten for herself.

Now, it was time for Jayden to buy the light novel that he had chosen for himself, one that he expected that he'll enjoy.

* * *

The street leading to Jayden's house was as tranquil as Kagami had always remembered it being, with a pleasant atmosphere around it that was strangely reminiscent of the road to her own home. Her hand was intertwined with his as they slowly sauntered through it, a smile on her face as she momentarily gazed at the clear blue sky above, the light of the warm sun on her face.

Glancing at Jayden beside her, she saw him looking a little upwards himself, his bangs lightly flowing along his features due to the weak wind softly grazing them, not unlike it did her own. His green eyes were looking forward, appearing thoughtful somewhat, until they made contact with her own, the handsome smile on his own face widening when they did. The rosy color on her cheeks reappeared in response while she pushed a few hair strands away from her face.

"You seemed like you had something on your mind, Jayden," she stated, curiosity evident in her voice as she said it.

"I was just thinking about the last time you visited," he answered, making her part her lips inquisitively in his direction. With his mouth pulling into a grin, he asked, "Remember that history text I gave you to read for practice?"

"How could I forget," Kagami replied, her blush increasing at the thought as she looked away from him down to the ground. "It had so many dates and… complicated names."

"Even I almost stuttered trying to say a couple of them right," Jayden spoke in a chuckle, sounding a bit embarrassed at the memory. "Ulysses Grant was the one who gave me pause, I think."

"But I messed up a lot more of them," Kagami muttered while pulling a lock of hair behind her ear. "It was a little embarrassing."

"No, I thought you were cute," Jayden answered with reassurance, making her look at him out of the corner of her eyes to see his own cheeks flushed a bit.

She couldn't help but feel a little warm inside from his comment, making her slowly run a hand through a pigtail of her hair as well. He, in turn, was rubbing the back of his neck as he returned her gaze, the sight of it making her widen her smile.

"Well… it looks like both of us got something out of it," she teased him through her blush.

"Well, I've always said it's more fun that way instead of studying English alone," he reminded as he kept the smile on his own face.

"And that text did help me in the end," she admitted, her hand gently squeezing Jayden's.

"I'm happy to have been of assistance then," he told her mirthfully, and then chuckled while saying, "And, you know, you've told me I'm not completely devoid of accent, either."

"It's not big, but it's there, yes," Kagami spoke with a little cryptic tone in her voice, readjusting the satchel that she was carrying over her shoulder. "I don't think it needs work, though."

"It would probably be difficult anyway since I've gotten so used to it by now," Jayden retorted in a slight shrug while running a hand through his hair.

"Or you just don't want me to prepare you a difficult Japanese text to read," she said to him knowingly, playfulness in her bluish eyes as she looked at him.

"That might be a part of it," he answered truthfully, a soft giggle escaping his girlfriend's mouth immediately afterwards.

The words she could find him and make him try to pronounce… It would obviously require her to go out of her way to do so, but it would most likely still be worth it.

Before either of them knew it, they were already in front of the familiar Ariyoshi home, which was just another small house among the rest, and yet, it was somehow special and stood out. Maybe it was the clean, white walls and the numerous bushes nearly concealing them, or the beautiful purple flowers in the courtyard that she liked so much. She couldn't help but smile upon seeing them again, feeling their pleasant scent up her nostrils which also made her momentarily close her eyes.

Opening them again, she directed her gaze at the house once more, the knowledge that she'll now enter as his girlfriend for the first time coming to her mind. Jayden's family were inside, or at least, his mother and sister for now… She liked both a lot, and they've always been kind to her...

And with Jayden's reassurance that they had no objections to her being together with him, she now felt more excitement than worry, looking forward to making this visit.

The sound of the gate opening brought her attention back to Jayden, who had just unlocked it with the keys he had pulled out from his satchel. He was softly smiling at her as he gestured his hand in the direction of the colorful courtyard, holding the gate wide open for her. Stepping through it while tucking a bit of hair behind her ear again, she turned to beam back at him while he closed the entrance down behind them.

"Kaiya has probably returned from school already," he told her as he put his hands back in his pockets. "I bet we're going to see her watching something on TV right now."

"Seems like she has a routine," Kagami replied amusedly, the two of them walking up the stairs to the front door.

"It did not involve studying at a time," Jayden spoke in a chuckle, the door into the house opening in front of them as he pushed it forward, his hand on its knob.

The familiar hallway was revealed before her as she walked through, the sparkling ornaments from the ceiling giving off a welcoming vibe to the house. The sound of gunfire could be heard in the room to their right, clearly coming from the television set in the hall.

"You know your sister well, Jayden," Kagami commented with amusement, the boy letting out another laugh in response, one that she returned herself while he shut the door behind them. The light coming from its window illuminated his features nicely, his bright eyes being the only thing under the shadow of his bangs.

The reverie Kagami was falling into was brief, for he then gestured his hand towards her, offering to take her satchel.

"I actually took some clothes with me," she told him after a second while pointing with her finger to her bag, and then nodding towards the seifuku she had on. "I didn't want to stay in my summer uniform once we've left school."

"Oh, then you'll probably want to change first," Jayden replied with understanding, pulling back his hand in the process. Briefly looking at the next door to their right, he said to her, "You can go change in my room. I'll follow your example after that."

"Thanks," she answered with a smile that he returned in kind, a moment passing between the two before she started going down the corridor, passing the coat rack and a mirror on the wall as she did.

Glancing behind her, she caught a glimpse of Jayden entering the hall before she touched the door handle in front, his room soon revealing itself to her once more.

It was a little dark because of the green curtains over the large window on the opposite side, which he apparently hadn't pulled back after waking up in the morning. The desk was cleaner than usual, with the monitor of his computer turned off on top of it, an alarm clock on the nightstand next to it. His bed was made, though still slightly wrinkled in a few places, with the familiar round table in front of it, which housed the small stack of manga he had piled up there. More memories of them studying English together there flooded back to her, a smile on her face following at the recollection, a subtle blush appearing on her cheeks as well.

Kagami knew this room well enough, but at a time she hadn't thought she'd be looking at with a certain endearment, one that she felt now as she finally took a step forward. There was something about being here that was as if she was with Jayden himself, though right now, it was him that she wanted to get back to.

Her hand loosened up the strap of her satchel and took it off her shoulder, placing it on the bed. After slowly rummaging through it for a second, she found the clothes she had put there last night – her light, short-sleeved blouse, purple in color, and small brown skirt.

Starting to strip down to her underwear while still looking around the room, Kagami felt a blush coloring her cheeks. Her mind was still processing that she was, in fact, changing in her boyfriend's room. It wasn't something she thought she'd be doing… not where, at a time, she had merely studied together with him, both of them still only friends...

It's been quite the development since then, hasn't it? The thought passing through her mind made her lips pull into an amused, happy smile.

After Kagami finished putting on her clothes, she neatly folded her discarded seifuku on the bed, returning it back in her satchel which she had made sure would have the necessary space. The last thing she didn't forget to do was to take her mobile phone from her uniform and place it in the pocket of her skirt.

Okay… she was ready. She shouldn't be worrying about anything and just let herself enjoy her time here instead, and that she would…

Sighing contentedly, she had her hands adjust the ribbons in her hair on the walk back through the hallway. Just in time, however, her eyes registered the presence of the mirror there, which she immediately went to stand in front of, her gaze staring at her own reflection curiously with her lips parted.

After brushing her fringe away to the side a notch, Kagami also ran her hand through her pigtails, placing one of them comfortably on top of the purple blouse she had just put on. The hem of it also needed to be brought down a bit, have it look a little bit more smooth…

Okay, now she was truly ready.

Hurrying over to the already opened door of the hallway, Kagami's ears were already picking up on a conversation in English on the other side. Right after that, her gaze was met with the sight of Jayden talking to Kaiya, both of them looking her way upon her entry. The younger of the two was sitting on the brown striped couch that faced the television set, while her brother had taken the adjacent armchair, its colors identical. Their mother was still nowhere to be seen.

Kaiya's lips pulled into a smile as she saw their guest, immediately leaning a little bit forward on the couch.

"Hey, Kagami! Long time no see," she said in perfect Japanese with a slightly high-pitched voice, her round brown eyes mirthful.

"It's nice to see you again, Kaiya," Kagami replied with a smile of her own, glancing at Jayden to see him looking at her with a subtle hint of rosy color on his face.

"That looks really pretty on you, Kagami," he told her after a moment as he gave her a soft smile of his own.

"Oh, thank you," she answered as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

She could do nothing to prevent her blush whenever he complimented her like that… or the subtle, fluttery feeling that she usually felt in her chest.

"Nobody said anything about me," Kaiya spoke in a teasing grin she directed at her brother, folding her arms over her short-sleeved, white and orange T-shirt.

"But you wear that almost every day, Kai," Jayden replied as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"That's not a valid argument," his sister retorted as she momentarily looked back towards the television set, her smirk still on her features.

"Fine. Your shirt is really nice," Jayden conceded, though his words were clearly forced, for he also wore a certain amused expression.

With a shake of his head and a sigh, he looked back at an entertained Kagami, and said to her while standing up from the armchair, "Have a seat, Kagami. I'll be right back."

As the boy went back through the door of the hall with his satchel still on his shoulder, Kagami went to sit down next to Kaiya, who scooted over to the other side of the couch to give her some more space.

"My brother made sure to remind me again that you're a fan," she then told her with a smile as she reached out for the box of sweets that was on the table in front of them, opening it up.

"Oh, I certainly am," Kagami spoke mirthfully, her voice clearly excited as she leaned to take one. "What about you? You don't like sweets?"

"I like them too, but certainly not as much as Jayde does," Kaiya replied as she followed Kagami's example and grabbed one as well. "Though I do always help myself to some."

"But you can at least resist taking most of the box," the pigtail-haired girl responded with a giggle before putting the chocolate in her mouth. Kaiya had already eaten hers, now taking a sip from a glass of orange juice that was also on the table.

"It's not like I can beat my brother to it anyway," she then let out a laugh, the action flick that was still ongoing ignored by the youngest Ariyoshi, who had even muted the volume.

In the meantime, Kagami immediately enjoyed the sweet taste in her mouth, subconsciously letting out a subtle, soft noise as she ate it.

"Oh, this is really good," she praised after she gulped it down.

"He gets them from a sweet shop close to the subway station," Kaiya explained to her as she nodded towards what would've been the nearby underpass if it wasn't for the house walls and the many other buildings on the other side. "He was just asking me where our mother was, by the way. She still has a client in here, so she may show up a bit later."

"Ah, that's no problem," Kagami assured, her curiosity as to the mother's absence sated, her attention now focused on chewing yet another piece of chocolate. Turning on the couch to face Jayden's sister better, she inquired, "How's it been going in junior high, Kaiya?"

"Not much, really, aside from trying to keep up with my studies. It's pretty difficult here compared to back home," the other girl responded with a shrug of her shoulders, but it wasn't long before her lips pulled into a smirk as she added, "No boyfriend yet though, if that's what you were asking. I have some catching up to do in that aspect."

"I mostly meant if you had fully adjusted to all of this yet," Kagami said as she blushed a little, concentrating on the next piece of chocolate that she started chewing, giving out the same noise as she did.

"Well, that _is_ certainly an element from it," Kaiya spoke with amusement in her eyes. Folding her arms again as she leaned her back against the couch, she spoke with a smile, "He talks about you a lot, you know."

"He does?" Kagami repeated after swallowing the chocolate, the color in her cheeks becoming more visible.

Hearing that being said was an oddly pleasant feeling, imagining Jayden talking about her like that…

"I, uh, I hope he doesn't get on your nerves," she then said to Kaiya as she twirled a strand of her hair around her finger.

"Most of the time I'm responsible for bringing it up," Jayden's sister replied in admission, shrugging nonchalantly once more before continuing with a smile, "But it's not like he tries hard to stop after that. I don't mind it, though - I'm glad to see my brother this happy."

Kagami's features brightened in response to Kaiya's words even more than they already had. She was about to reply when she heard steps close by, indicating the arrival of somebody in the hall, making her turn around to see Jayden walking through the door, leaving it open behind him.

He had put on his dark green button-up shirt on his chest, one that was of a pleasant contrast to his brighter eyes which were now looking at her. What he also wore was a pair of black trousers on his legs, with one hand casually resting in the pocket, as ever, and the other holding a glass of water.

Those colors looked really good on him like they always did, matching his facial features and hair quite nicely, making him appear even more good-looking…

"Sorry for taking so long," his apologetic words shook her out of her daydream, along with the fact that he had held out his hand to her, passing her the glass. "Figured you might be thirsty."

"Ah, it's okay, Jayden, and thank you," Kagami replied, waving her free hand a little as she did. Turning a bit around on the couch in his direction while he walked across the hall to the armchair, she told him with a smile, blushing, "You… you look good in that yourself."

"Oh, thank you," he spoke appreciatively with a smile of his own while his face gained a little color too.

"So in the end, I'm the only one here without a real compliment," Kaiya interjected, though not irritably, but with the usual teasing tone in her voice, while Kagami took a sip from the cold water in the meantime, and eventually put it down the table.

"You're brushing mine off as insincere?" Jayden asked her with a mockingly hurt expression, about to sit on the armchair when Kaiya suddenly stood up.

"Sit here, Jayde," she told him while nodding beside Kagami at the couch, going around the furniture to take the armchair for herself. "I want to have a good look of you both anyway. And you'd have better access to that box of sweets."

"If you insist," her brother replied, following her order as he took a seat close to Kagami, turning his head to smile back at her once more, both of their faces a little rosy.

"For what's worth, I do like your shirt, Kaiya," Kagami said sincerely with mirth, nodding at Jayden's sister as she did.

"Why, thanks," Kaiya spoke cheerfully. "I was just teasing, though. Jayde's right – it's pretty old and I've worn it a lot of times."

"This isn't brand new either," the other girl replied as she looked down at her blouse, straightening it a little by the edges with her hands.

"I don't really remember how old most of my clothes are," Jayden remarked, a slight shrug as he himself glanced at his shirt. "I know I've yet to buy some that are from here, though."

"As I've told Jayde, I went to a mall in Minami Saitama recently with a friend from school," Kaiya explained, her eyes looking between the two of them as she did until they landed on Kagami. "I don't know if you've gone there, but I did buy a couple of shirts and a pair of jeans at a good price."

"No, I actually haven't," Kagami replied with a slight shake of her head. "I've been to malls and clothing stores in Kuki-shi and Kasukabe, but not there. I think a friend of ours, Konata, has though, since it's where she switches subway lines."

"Seems like it could be another good place to buy clothes when you need them," Jayden spoke to Kagami, throwing his sister a glance as he did.

"At least you have my recommendation," Kaiya noted in a nod.

Leaning a little and reaching out with her hand to grab a chocolate from the box, Kagami was startled to feel it brushing against Jayden's, who had also gone for the very same piece. The sudden warmth she felt made her glance in his direction with her cheeks flushed again, his light green eyes looking back at her from up close.

"You get that one, Jayden," Kagami told him with a smile as she pulled a lock of hair behind her ear, taking the adjacent one instead.

"Looks like hunger struck us both," Jayden replied while he rubbed the back of his neck, a blush of his own on his face, his hand picking up the one he had reached out for.

"So it would seem," Kagami answered, letting out a giggle before she brought her chocolate to her mouth, with Jayden doing the same with his in the meantime.

"Well, aren't you two sweet," Kaiya commented with an entertained voice as she gave them a teasing grin, folding her legs on the armchair as she leaned forward. "Get it?"

"Yes, very clever," Jayden replied sarcastically, casting a brief, amused glance in Kagami's direction, his cheeks still a bit red.

All of them suddenly turned their heads in the direction of the open hall door, the sound of chatter catching their attention.

It was Jayden's mother Alycia, talking to another middle-aged woman in a rather broken Japanese with a reassuring voice, her eyes not yet registering the presence of her other guest.

"It should be fine," she was telling her client mirthfully, nodding her head at her. "Things will take a turn for the better."

"Next Friday at 15 o'clock, Ariyoshi-san?" the native woman asked the foreigner stoically with her arms crossed in front of her, her fingers holding onto a small, black purse.

"That's right," Alycia responded, her arm touching the handle of the front door and pulling it back. "Until next time, Ms. Katsura."

Once the client was gone and the entrance to the house shut, Alycia immediately turned her head in the direction of the three teenagers, a wider smile appearing on her face. Her light green eyes, which strongly resembled Jayden's own, were looking at Kagami as she began walking up to the table. A short-sleeved, low-cut green blouse was covering her body, along with a pair of denim jeans.

"Kagami, it's great to see you again," she spoke first as she briskly approached her. "I'm so sorry for taking so long to greet you, but this appointment took longer than I expected it to."

"Oh, no, it's okay," Kagami immediately replied with a slight wave of her hand, standing up, turning to bow by instinct once again before she caught herself doing so in time and stopped. At least, as she smiled at the woman, she remembered to call her by her first name as she had told her to. "It's a pleasure to see you too, Alycia."

"Ah, sit down, sit down," Alycia quickly reassured the girl, casually nodding at the couch as she did.

After Kagami did so, she glanced at Jayden, having felt his eyes on her before, and registered the comforting smile that he was directing at her.

Maybe she was still a tiny bit nervous… but the look on his face right then did a lot to put her at ease.

"Do you have more clients for the day?" Jayden then inquired curiously, leaning forward.

"I have Ms. Asuna coming shortly too," his mother answered with a long sigh. "But I have a bit of a gap now."

"You want to use the armchair, mom?" Kaiya asked her, preparing to stand up when Alycia gestured her hand in her daughter's direction, signalling halt.

"No, don't worry about it," Alycia replied dismissively, putting her hands on her waist as she turned to Kagami once more. "Summer break is coming along soon, isn't it?"

"Yes, near the end of the month," she informed with a nod.

"I know you'll also have your midterms, but I'm glad there was enough time for you to visit before that," Alycia then continued, her expression remaining mirthful. Her tone almost sounded teasing when she pointed to the box of chocolates and said, "And I hope you didn't eat too much of those, because there's a piece of cake waiting for all of you."

"A—a cake?" Kagami slowly repeated with her eyes lighting up, the older woman chuckling happily in response.

"You're just like Jayden," she said to her, her eyes narrowing in her direction. "Why yes, a cake indeed."

"I thought you said I should open this box so that there'd be at least something sweet," Jayden incredulously spoke to his mother, the excitement in his voice hard to miss.

"Well, I wanted it to be a surprise," Alycia replied with a cheerful smile. "When I heard that Kagami would be coming by, and that you wouldn't be busy studying, I thought it'd be time to buy one from the bakery – it's been a while anyway."

"It's a good thing I didn't eat a whole lot at school, then," Kaiya said to her mother with relief.

"Well, neither did we, right?" Jayden turned to Kagami with his brows lifted inquisitively.

"A bento isn't a whole lot," Kagami replied amusedly while nonchalantly shrugging her shoulders. "And neither is a plain sandwich, of course."

"Though I suppose you'd like it closer to dinnertime," Alycia spoke, throwing a glance at a clock on the wall, one that was placed close to the television set. "Just in time for when I finish my last appointment, too."

After hearing the suggestion, Jayden looked at Kagami, clearly asking for her opinion. Nodding eagerly his way in response, he returned the gesture himself before turning back to his mother, saying, "That sounds good."

"I'm on board too," Kaiya chimed in as well.

"It's decided, then," Alycia concurred, looking between the three of them before having her attention diverted by the ringing doorbell. "And that must be Ms. Asuna."

With Alycia soon gone to welcome her final client for the day, Kaiya leaned forward on her chair again, looking at her brother and his girlfriend with a smirk.

"Will you two be able to handle the waiting?" she asked the two knowingly, taking a sip from her orange juice.

"It would've been easier if we didn't suspect a thing, but we'll cope," Kagami jokingly spoke as she let out a giggle, her hand reaching out and momentarily squeezing Jayden's as she looked at him mirthfully.

"And there are ways to whet the appetite, too," Jayden confidently replied, turning Kagami's expression into a curious one until he told her, "I just thought of finally having our _King of Fighters_ rematch, if you're in the mood for it."

"Oh," Kagami let out in surprise, registering the two PlayStation controllers in front of the television screen again, which still showed a rather heated gun fight. Once she did, the smile on her lips reappeared. "I didn't get to training for it, but I wouldn't mind another victory."

"Count me in if you're playing," Kaiya joined in excitedly. "I haven't fought anyone besides Jayde for a while."

"She has her tricks, so be careful," her brother said to Kagami in a rather confidential manner, who let out an amused laugh in response.

"I'll be on the look-out then," she retorted, the corner of her eyes picking up on Kaiya's cryptic smirk.

* * *

Some time after the sky outside had begun to visibly darken, as seen from the nearby hall window, a few pieces of chocolate cake had been served on the table, and were all in the process of being eaten. The television screen no longer showed the title menu of _King of Fighters_, nor could Kula be seen standing next to a defeated K' anymore. Instead, it played the news, but the four people in the room only took partial notice of that, too preoccupied on the food in front of them.

Even Kagami, right now, had forgotten her victories in the game, as she focused on the sweet taste in her mouth instead.

"This cake is delicious," she commented after swallowing a mouthful of her own slice, her eyes in the brightest shade of blue.

"You've made a good choice, mom," Jayden added after exchanging a joyous glance with Kagami, who had sat down beside him on the couch like before.

"I thought I did," Alycia spoke happily, seated on a stool on the opposite side of the table with her back to the television set.

"Pure chocolate is usually the way to go," Kaiya remarked before putting some more of the cake in her mouth.

"Which bakery did you get this from, Alycia?" Kagami inquired curiously, her voice showing her eagerness to hear the answer.

"A little further down our street, there's a large intersection close by with a few shops around and a pharmacy," Alycia explained to her, some more chocolate ready to be eaten in her spoon. "The bakery is right among them, you can't miss it if you're there."

"I'll definitely keep it in mind," Kagami spoke as she went on to grab another piece of the cake, which was still only halfway eaten, as opposed to Jayden's, which was already close to becoming non-existent. "There's a bakery close to the Takanomiya Shrine that I know of, but I wasn't sure about this part of Kuki-shi."

"Ah, now that you mentioned this, the summer festival there is going to be held this month, right?" Alycia asked Kagami with clear excitement in her eyes.

"Yes, on the 24th of July," the girl answered, expecting the day just as much herself. "Right at the final day of the term."

"We're all going to have to get ourselves a yukata sometime before that if we're to go there," Jayden reminded while looking up to his mother, who nodded in his direction with understanding.

"Oh, I don't have one either," Kaiya added with a worried look on her face.

"I think that even your father is without a yukata," Alycia said while looking between her children, gulping down a piece of the cake. "It's been such a long time, after all."

"Well, even if you don't have a yukata, it isn't necessary to wear one to go to the shrine and observe the festival," Kagami clarified with a reassuring smile on her face as she glanced between the members of the Ariyoshi family.

She was just about to continue when she saw some chocolate on Jayden's cheek as he intently looked back at her, her lips slightly parting upon the sight. Her hand relinquished the spoon she had been holding and instead took the napkin beside her plate, gently bringing it to her boyfriend's cheek. His eyes momentarily showed surprise as she started wiping it off, but quickly eased into it, not without a little blush appearing on him in the meantime.

"Don't waste cacao," she told him with a soft smile on her features, her face also coloring a little, soon having finished with cleaning his cheek.

"I'll be more careful," he then replied while giving her a smile of his own, his hand on the back of his neck. Both Alycia and Kaiya seemed to have amused, if not endeared expressions, as they also glanced at one another.

"But, uh, what I was about to say," Kagami continued while brushing the bangs away from her eyes, "It's still part of the experience to go with a yukata, so that's why most people go with one. It's a… special feeling for a festival like this."

"I can tell why that's so," Alycia said with an excited nod of her head. "I know I'll get one for myself. I'm sure Shiro would want to wear one anyway, and it seems like the rest of us are up for it, too."

Just as that was said, everyone's gaze followed a slightly creaky sound of a door being opened not far from them, and soon enough Jayden's father could be seen through the nearby frame.

He was clearly Japanese in his appearance, unlike the rest of the family. His sharp eyes were the first thing that Kagami always noticed, their shape almost identical to Jayden's, but of the dark brown color instead. Although black like his son's, his hair was much shorter and orderly, with no bangs to speak of. The slim, tall man was wearing a work suit and carried a black satchel, and as he walked through the door to the hall, he used his free hand to pull a set of plugs out of his ears.

It certainly wasn't only physical traits that Jayden and his father Shiro shared.

"Oh, what are we having?" he spoke in perfect Japanese while giving everyone a smile, his voice sounding weary as he breathed a little heavily.

"Hey, dad," Jayden and Kaiya greeted cheerfully in unison, while Alycia smiled softly at him.

"Good evening, Shiro," Kagami said to the father of the family politely, remembering to also call him by his first name like he had insisted she did.

"Good to see you again, Kagami," Shiro replied in a genuine tone, holding out his arm across the table for a handshake with the guest.

"Welcome back, honey," Alycia then spoke, gesturing towards her emptying plate. "We're having cake, do you want some?"

"Doesn't sound bad," Shiro casually answered, smiling at his wife, who excitedly stood up from her seat.

"I'll go get you a piece," Alycia told him, already on her way to the door, glancing backward as she asked, "How was work?"

"I've had better days," Shiro replied, raising his voice a little for her to hear him as she headed up the stairs by the front door. "Paperwork just kept coming in. Yours?"

"You know me, turning people's lives around as always," came the distant reply, which elicited a chuckle in response.

"Did you go to see grandma?" Jayden questioned his father with concern, leaning forward on the couch, the plate in front of him already empty. In the meantime, Kaiya had started standing up for her father to take the armchair, but he declined the offer as he went to take another stool.

"I did, she's feeling alright. Says hi," he answered his son with a smile, who looked visibly relieved at the response.

"Did you mention I'll go visit her on Sunday?" Kaiya asked, straightening up while watching her father put the stool next to Alycia's.

"Yeah, she'll be happy to see you again," Shiro replied, sitting down as he did. "It's been a while because of your studies, after all."

"I finally have a longer break, yeah, after finishing with most of my exams in June," Kaiya nodded affirmatively as she relaxed on her armchair once more.

"We can't say the same for us," Jayden chimed in while he rubbed the back of his neck, glancing at Kagami, who was currently chewing on one of her last pieces of her slice of cake.

"We have midterms in a couple of weeks," Kagami clarified for the bemused Shiro after she swallowed the chocolate, her hand already reaching out for her glass of water next.

"Oh, right, those are going to be rough," Shiro spoke with sympathy in his eyes as he shook his head. While taking out his music player from the front pocket of his suit and placing it on the table, he added, "I'd say that you make sure you work hard for them, but you know that. You've started preparing pretty early on."

It was at that moment that Alycia returned with another plate with cake in her hand, which she left in front of Shiro at the table.

"Thanks," Shiro spoke before he shared a brief kiss with his wife, mirthful expressions on both of their faces immediately after their lips parted. It was not a display of affection Kagami expected to see when she did, but it somehow put a soft smile on her face.

While Alycia took her seat beside her husband, she informed him, "We were just talking about the incoming summer festival before you came."

"Ah, is that right?" Shiro spoke in surprise, looking at Kagami and Jayden again as he said, "It's only a few weeks away, isn't it? I'm really looking forward to it – I haven't been to one for so many years."

"Will you be getting a yukata?" Jayden asked him curiously.

"Yes, of course," Shiro confidently replied, already holding a spoonful of his cake. "Last I heard, you and your sister wanted to get one too."

"That's right, dad," Kaiya confirmed, the excitement in her voice palpable.

"I could help you pick them out," Shiro offered, his eyes on Jayden's own as he told him in an obvious fatherly tone with a smile, "You'll want to look your best on a festival. All the more incentive when you're going with a girl who's also going to be wearing one."

"Well, there's always incentive," Jayden replied with his cheeks a little flushed as he glanced at Kagami, as if he was talking to her when he continued, "I mean, they're usually pretty expensive, so… might as well be one that's nice."

"I think a black or green one would look good on you, Jayden," Kagami told him with a smile of her own, a blush on her face as she looked back at him, her hand twirling a strand of her hair. "And remember that you'll be able to wear it for future festivals as well, so make sure you truly like it."

"That's right, and I agree with Kagami about the color choice," Shiro spoke, appearing as if he had more on his mind that he wanted to say until he tasted a piece of the chocolate cake he had just put in his mouth. "Oh, this is good."

"I got it from the nearby bakery," Alycia revealed to him as she smiled at his reaction. "I figured you'd enjoy it."

"I am," Shiro reaffirmed, starting to devour the cake in a way that was uncannily familiar to Kagami.

"I'm not going to lie, I hope there's going to be more of it for tomorrow," Kaiya said contentedly while looking at the last remaining slice on the table.

"Oh and also, make sure your yukata is as light as possible, since it can get really hot when the time comes for you to wear it," Kagami continued sharing her insight to Jayden, who nodded with understanding in response to her initial words. After letting out a soft giggle, however, she added, "You don't want your memories from your first festival to involve passing out from the heat."

"I haven't thought about that, actually. Can it really get that hot in them?" Jayden asked her with a concerned tone in his voice, his features showing a sudden worry that she found adorable.

"Well, it is always a risk…" she told him in the most serious tone she could muster. His eyes immediately turned suspicious as he incredulously looked at her, and at that time she couldn't help but let out another laugh.

"I'm kidding, Jayden," she assured him after she stifled her giggles, looking at him with amusement as she instinctively reached out and squeezed his hand again. "I mean, you _do_ want it to be light, but I haven't heard of anyone losing consciousness before."

"You scared me there a little," Jayden chuckled while he rubbed the back of his neck, unmistakable relief in his eyes. "I guess I'm… just not yet sure how it feels like exactly."

As she glanced at the others, Kagami could see that Kaiya also seemed amused at her brother's reaction, though she herself had just as much of a worried look on her face a couple of seconds ago. Alycia and Shiro hadn't appeared concerned at all and instead shared an amused glance between themselves, which they both eventually directed at Kagami and Jayden.

After that, the people around the table enjoyed themselves for a bit more, and Kagami herself felt relaxed in what was a clearly foreign, but comforting casual atmosphere. Her being Jayden's girlfriend only seemed to make his parents even more friendly to her, and her enjoyment from that was reflected on both her features and her boyfriend's own. She could sometimes feel his eyes on her whenever she talked with another member of his family, and when she turned her head to look at him, he'd always be smiling at her interacting with them.

This step… her meeting up with his parents once more, now as something more than just a friend to him… it truly was just as important to him as it was to her.

* * *

A little while later, Kagami had gone with Jayden to his room, her stomach feeling full from having eaten so much, easily falling into a slouch on one of the chairs next to the round table.

This was where they had studied English together a few times before, and while the memory of doing so wasn't at all unpleasant, she was glad to be simply resting there, enjoying more of her time in the house... more of her time with him.

Her eyes gazed through the window of the room, which was a little ajar as it let in a pleasant, fresh air. The curtains that used to be drawn over the glass were now fully pulled back, revealing the clear darkened sky on the other side.

She'd have to go soon… and, as usual, she found herself not really wanting to.

A rummaging sound beside her made her turn her head in Jayden's direction, who was looking for something in his satchel that he had placed on the bed next to hers. In the middle of that, he glanced back at her with a smile on his face that she couldn't help return.

"Admit that you've spent some time training _King of Fighters_," he then told her teasingly.

"If you count a couple of matches at home training, then yes, I practiced quite a bit," she let out a giggle in response, remembering the game she had with him once more, and her eventual victory. "Come on, it was really close again like last time."

"I seem to be making the same mistakes all the time, though," Jayden replied with a slight shake his head. "At least I beat Kaiya, which actually doesn't happen often."

"She was surprisingly good too," Kagami noted, recalling her own match with his sister with a certain amusement. "Does she always try to strike up conversations in the middle of a game?"

"Oh, yes, all the time," Jayden answered with a chuckle, now picking up the light novel from his bag, the one he had bought earlier in the manga store with her help. "It's part of her strategy, and the thing is she can pay attention to both the game and the actual topic she brings up just fine."

"At least it didn't work on either of us," Kagami said while watching him place the book on his desk. "You should get yourself a quiz game for us to play sometime too, like the ones I have at home."

"Beating me at _King of Fighters _isn't enough then?" Jayden asked her with a teasing smile while continuing to take things out from the satchel, mostly notebooks he had taken with him for school.

"You're smart, Jayden," Kagami told him as he looked at him earnestly, turning around on her chair, beaming at him. "I think it could get just as competitive, and not because you've memorized the answers like Konata has in our games."

"I'll keep it in mind, though I'm still not sure how good I'll be at those," he replied as he rubbed the back of his neck, proceeding to take out his music player from his pocket shortly thereafter.

"Where do you keep that?" Kagami inquired curiously upon seeing the familiar device, one that he had loaned her for a while before.

"On my nightstand where I can't forget it in the morning," he answered, and then smiled at her as he added, "That, and I often listen to some music before I fall asleep, so it's the nearest place for me to put it back afterwards."

"I did the same thing when I had it with me, actually," she said while grinning at him with a subtle blush on her cheeks, reaching out with her hand to brush the bangs away from her eyes. "The songs you gave me relaxed me a lot, especially after more tiring days. I enjoyed having it with me."

Jayden hummed affirmatively in response, his gaze suddenly appearing thoughtful for a few moments as it idly looked at the music player in his hand, and then back at her. Just when Kagami was about to ask him just where he had gone off to, he casually turned around and placed the device on his nightstand.

"That's why I like it so much," he then replied, looking at her with a mirthful expression as he walked up to the little round table.

"What were you thinking about just now?" she asked him curiously, her eyes looking up to his own in a mockingly suspicious manner.

"Oh, nothing in particular," he cryptically spoke as he shrugged his shoulders, though the slightest hint of his smile was still visible, and pretty telling.

A sudden ringing sound prevented her from asking any further though, the noise released from her phone slightly startling her.

"It's probably Tsukasa," she said to Jayden as she found the phone in the pocket of her skirt, taking it out and flipping it open to see a message from her twin, just like she had guessed.

Jayden, in the meantime, had looked at the time shown on his wristwatch, a surprised expression on his face soon following.

"Ah," he simply let out, his voice sounding reluctant in informing her, "It has gotten fairly late. Time sure flows fast."

"She's just asking if I'm still at your place, but…" Kagami's voice trailed off as she finished replying to the message and then looked at Jayden, a reluctant sigh escaping her mouth. "I guess I should get going soon anyway…"

"I can send you off at the station when you leave," Jayden suggested, his light green eyes locking onto hers.

"Well… if you want to," Kagami replied, not hiding the hopefulness in her voice, knowing she'd rather spend at least a little bit more time with him.

"Of course I do," Jayden assured, his gaze on Kagami still full of warmth.

"Thank you," she said in response with a subtle blush, her hand running along the length of her pigtail in the meantime. "I had a really good time here, Jayden. Your parents, your sister – they're very nice people to be so… friendly with me."

His family had truly been really kind to her, and if anything, they had been even more casual and open with her now, as his girlfriend, than before. They were all so curiously laid back that it hardly seemed like she was a guest to the Ariyoshi household at all, and she felt truly welcomed by them, urged to come by again…

"You know they all really like you," Jayden said to her with a mirthful countenance, his own cheeks flushed. "They'd love to have you here again. And Kaiya's still suggesting you go out together with her sometime."

"I might take her up on that offer," Kagami replied while pulling a lock of hair behind her ear, a teasing smile on her face. "She did say she'd be a good insight into your childhood, after all."

"Well, if you're curious, you know I could always tell you what you want to know," her boyfriend reminded her with his brows lifted, almost a bit worriedly so.

"Oh, I'll take you up on that too," she said to him with amusement, receiving a chuckle in response to her words.

"If you share something too, that is," he challenged while giving her a playful look, momentarily glancing at the light novel on his desk. "Equivalent trade, after all."

"It's a deal, then," Kagami replied in a business-like manner, the smile she was sending his way widening.

She found herself unable to look away from Jayden's affectionate expression that he regarded her with at that moment, which he was somehow able to reserve only for her alone. Even as he started leaning downward, slowly bridging the gap between their faces, she didn't close her eyes fully until she felt the warm touch of his kiss.

Whenever that happened, she could do nothing but lose herself in the sensation, replying in kind with her own lips tenderly brushing against his own. She lifted up her hand during the kiss to have it comfortably rest on his cheek, his smooth skin touched by her palm, the pleasant contact joined by the feeling of his hand lightly touching her shoulder in the meantime.

Her heart did a slight flutter, overjoyed by the connection, building on the happiness she had continuously felt from being in his presence for the length of the day. Her cheeks were red, the color not quite fading even as their lips eventually parted, a moment of silence falling upon the two as they simply looked at each other.

"Don't… don't make leaving any more difficult for me," she heard her thoughts voiced by her mouth as she gave him a soft smile, having pulled back her hand from his cheek already.

"Sorry… I didn't intend that," Jayden replied with a smile of his own as he rubbed the back of his neck. With his blush appearing a bit more prominently, he added, "You taste like chocolate, you know."

"So do you, Jayden," she beamed back at him while slowly running a hand through the hairs of her pigtail, her fingers happily playing with its soft strands.

It was true that parting for the day in a little while would be even harder now… but it was also true that she didn't even think of taking the kiss back.


End file.
